Mirrored Pasts
by Priestess Skye
Summary: Two past lovers, two present enemies. What happens when fate plays a role in their adventures? Kagome and Sesshoumaru become possessed by the souls of two past lovers who are determined to have a second chance. KAGSESS
1. Prologue

_**MIRRORED PASTS**_

_By Priestess Skye_

_In response to a challenge issued by Jay FicLover: Possessed by Two Past Lovers on A Single Spark. To Jay FicLover, I don't know if you wanted the name of the fic as Possessed by Two Past Lovers, but I like shorter titles for my fics…just a personal preference, which is why I also included your challenge name in this A/N. Thank you for issuing this challenge, I was quite taken and inspired with the idea and I hope I do it justice._

_**Summary: Two past lovers, two present enemies. What happens when fate plays a role in their adventures? Kagome and Sesshoumaru become possessed by the souls of two past lovers who are determined to have a second chance.**_

Prologue

9, 842 BC

Ancient Japan

Jomon Period

He watched the tribe of humans as they made their way to the river to bathe, and to collect suitable drinking water. They were primitive folk, settling in one place until the food ran shy, and they were forced to move on. They were on the move again, searching out their third home in the past twelve moons. There was no rain this year, causing hardship for anybody who intended on staying in one place. Where there was no water, there was no food. He knew from experience that animals would not forage where there was no plant life. And those that ate the plant eating animals would not hunt where there were no plant eating animals. It was part of the grand circle, and he himself, despite his status, was a part of it. He followed the animals, knowing that they were the key to his survival.

He knew that many wouldn't survive much longer with the winter coming in another few moons. He had observed several bands of humans as they collected what little food they could and tried to store it. He watched as some of the women filled leather sacks full of water so they wouldn't find thirst upon their travels. He watched as more of the women salted strips of bearmeat and laid them out in the sun to dry. They had done this on their last three stops during the past few days. The process itself took a while. Some of the men had gone off hunting, hoping to find a rabbit, or possibly some fish for dinner. They had a tribe to provide for. Others walked further downstream and decided it was time to cleanse themselves. To be truthful, he was thankful for it. They smelled. Every single one of them smelled of dirt and sweat, which couldn't be helped as they spent long hours on the road.

This particular band of humans had been in his sight for years, and while he should have walked away when he first discovered them, he didn't, he couldn't. A demon of his status should have found them beneath his notice, he shouldn't have given them more than a passing glance. After all, why would he be interested in a small band of humans when he had to ensure the survival of his own kind. If he kept this up, he would surely be overthrown, but most times he couldn't help himself.

Sure he would go and patrol his borders, as a Taiyoukai, it was his duty, and his honour to be able to. He would reign in the renegade demons and ensure order among everybody. These humans were so primitive and could learn much if they followed his example. Instead, they worked themselves to death for such small rewards.

Yet there was one who fascinated him beyond measure, one who occupied his thoughts by day, and his dreams by night. His obsession.

His love…

Mokuren.

The human priestess traveling with the band in front of him. For years he kept tabs on this band just for her. First, out of curiosity he told himself. He had seen her from afar and noticed she was different from the other humans. He was merely curious as to how different she was.

Then out of honour, he decided. She had helped him when she was younger, and he felt honour bound to repay the decency. He did it in the form of protection, as it was something he could offer better than anybody else out there. The human world was a dangerous one, with the various bands and tribes constantly at war with each other over territory and food. This band was not immune to these wars as he learned over the years. Several times he has had to step in and rescue his priestess from peril. While other men had died, families had been butchered and food stashes raided, he kept his priestess safe, and watched as she worked to help her people heal.

She was truly remarkable.

He spied her now, leaving the side of a pregnant tribeswoman to bathe on her own, away from the prying eyes of the tribesmen. Being the holy woman she was, it was a crime to set your eyes upon her naked form. However, unlike the other men, he was allowed that privilege, and left his post to follow her.

Behind the bushes he watched as she slipped the white wolf furs off her body and bared her back to him. A better demon would have been able to resist the temptation, he could not and he stepped out of the bushes to make his presence known to her.

"Shion!" she blushed and ran to him, forgetting her current near nakedness. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, bringing her close and inhaling the sweet scent that could only belong to her. He allowed himself the luxury of finding the tie that held her hair in a braid and loosening it, allowing the wavy strands to fall free down her back. It was softer than he could ever imagine, and he took every opportunity he could to run his fingers through it.

"Mokuren," he breathed, pulling her tighter to him. The moments between them these days were few and far between as her tribes people seemed to require her services more than ever.

Over the past few moons several of the women in the tribe had become pregnant and required the Priestess' service, either with her healing ways, or to bless them and their future child. Occasionally she would be called upon to ward away the evil spirits around the different homes or perform a death ceremony after a war.

However, lately her talents have been called in a different use. The people wanted rain and she was being asked to pray to the gods with all her might to bring it forth. At one point they had asked her to fast and meditate for three days in an attempt to appease the gods. He nearly slaughtered the group for even suggesting she do such a thing.

However, the kindness in her heart forced her to follow their wishes, and he watched in quiet desperation, ready to act at any moment if need be, as she fasted in an open field. It was experience he didn't want to repeat.

"Come with me," he whispered to her. As he always whispered to her whenever they would meet up.

"I can't," she replied sadly. "My people need me."

"I need you more."

Mokuren rested her brow on his chest, snuggling into the warm fur clothing him. As the great Inu Taikyoukai, he of all people should understand that duty comes before all else, but every time he asked her to run away with him, her resolve would break just a little bit more. One of these days he was going to ask and she would run with him, forsaking her destiny.

And she knew that would cause problems.

Their future together was cursed. She saw this during her mediation once, but never had the heart to tell him. She pulled away from him a moment to look up at him, taking in his jet black hair and eyes, silvery like the moon, and the navy markings on his cheeks. Her Shion, impossibly loyal, as well as impossibly stubborn. While he believed in her, he refused to believe her in this.

But still, she couldn't bring herself to leave him, to part ways forever. Just like he, she needed him. More than she could admit to herself.

"You have your life to live, your destiny to fulfill. I have mine," she said, knowing that he wouldn't listen, taking comfort in knowing that he wouldn't leave.

"We can run together. You mean more to me than my lands, my people."

"Don't say that," she whispered.

"I mean it," he replied.

"I know you do." She turned in his arms and pulled him tighter.

"Stay with me?" he asked.

"For a few minutes." They were lost, she realized, as a sense of forboding came over her. They were about to meet their destiny, and there was nothing either could do about it. Shion, her beloved Shion would fight and destroy everything just to protect her, but she couldn't let that happen. She was a priestess, a miko, and it was her job to heal, not to destroy.

She didn't say a word as legions of demons and humans alike tore through the bushes and found them.

She held him tight to her, in an effort to keep him calm and controlled, as the others shouted obscenities.

Monster.

Whore.

Demon.

Filth.

Tainted.

Dirty.

A priestess was to remain pure, she's no longer worthy of the title with a beast like him on her arm.

Silently the tears poured down her face. The names directed at her she could ignore, would ignore, but it hurt to hear them call her beloved such things.

She pressed herself against him even more, accepting their fate as it was to be, and she died happily, despite the pain of the arrow through both their hearts, knowing that her Shion was with her.

Somewhere in the night, two silvery threads of light made their way through the sky, searching for their final resting place. Aizen-Myoo watched as they wandered aimlessly, his heart going out to the two star-crossed lovers, and taking pity on them. He reached out and caught the two threads of light and placed them in a mirror, one in one side, one in the other, sealing them together until such a time that they could be released.

Together, yet still apart.

He knew they would view it as a curse, but it was the only way to give them a second chance at love.

And he knew that time would eventually allow their souls to be free to finish what they had started long ago

Author's Notes:

Hey guys, there's a few more notes here, so please bear with me.

There are going to be numerous more references to Shion and Mokuren throughout the story. To avoid any confusion, the two existed during the Jomon Period of Japan. Japan was pretty much non-existent then except as an island where people lived. Those living there were primarily hunters-gatherers, which means they were nomadic, and didn't farm. They hunted their food, or they foraged the forests. There were no fine silks then, they wore the skins of their kill. Now I tried to make the demons a little bit more advanced, but they wouldn't be that much more. Armor is made of bone and rock, weapons are made of wood, bone and rock, no swords made of steel and the like. Now a female religious head probably didn't exist back then, but for the sake of the story, she did in this one tribe.

The mention of Aizen-Myoo, he is the Japanese God of Love. At least that's what my little bit of research has pulled up, so I'm hoping it's correct.

Shion himself is a Taiyoukai, yes he's a dog demon, but no, he's not related to Sesshoumaru, or a past descendent. Not directly anyway. Keep in mind that he was killed before he could have kids.

Now this will be a Sess/Kag fic. I have written fics with all sorts of pairings, Inu/Kag, Sess/Rin, but I have fallen in love with the Sess/Kag pairing. I think it's the good girl in me loving the bad boy.

Standard disclaimer applies to this fic. Inuyasha et. Al do not belong to me. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi, and I thank her for creating such wonderful characters. They shall be returned to her upon the completion of this fic unharmed. The characters of Mokuren and Shion belong to both myself and Jay FicLover. I say both of us because Jay FicLover created the characters of both, but it was myself that developed them.

Lastly, I hope you all enjoy the story as it unfolds. This is my first canon fic, everything else I've written or am currently writing is alternate universe. I hope you approve. Please review and tell me your opinion. I love constructive criticism, but I hate flames, so if you have nothing nice to say about it at all, then please don't say anything at all. But if you have some helpful suggestions, please feel free to say something. Some of you will notice that some of my words are spelled differently. I am Canadian and am using Canadian spelling throughout. So you'll see 'colour' instead of 'color' and so on and so forth. I like to mention this simply because in the previous fandom in which I wrote, I received a horrible flame from somebody telling me I couldn't spell, and all of the words cited were spelled properly, just properly Canadian wise.

Enjoy the story!

-Priestess Skye


	2. The Mirror

1500's

Feudal Era

Japan

"Wind Scar!" Inuyasha yelled as he slashed his fang through the air and watched with satisfaction as the glowing stream of light barreled toward its target.

Then he swore as it missed.

"Inuyasha! Look out!" He quickly jumped out of the way as the dragon youkai swung his massive tail toward them.

"Shit, he's faster than I took him for," he breathed out as the dragon's tail narrowly missed him. They had been fighting the youkai for a good hour now, the entire group was tired and they had yet to kill the beast. They wouldn't have even begun fighting it if it hadn't challenged them. The youkai didn't carry a shard of the jewel, but it had sensed those around Kagome's neck and had decided to make them their own.

Over his dead body.

"Sango!" Miroku turned to his comrade. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine for now," she replied. "But this needs to end soon." She looked harried and exhausted, he noted. Her typically impeccable hair was falling out of its ponytail, and it was starting to look as if the hiraikotsu was becoming extremely heavy. He only wished he could use his wind tunnel to help them out, but whenever he tried, the dragon youkai would send a blast of miasma his way. After sucking in the small trace amount, his hand had gone numb and become useless. Anymore and he knew he'd be writhing in agony.

"Inuyasha, try again," Kagome called as she notched an arrow into her bow. It had come to the point where she was now picking arrows off the ground, as she had run out. "Come on, hit the mark," she muttered as she let the arrow fly.

"Wind Scar," the inu-hanyou shouted as he sent another blast from the Tessaiga toward the dragon. The dragon sent a blast of raw energy their way, knocking both the arrow and blast aside. "Dammit!" He turned as he heard a scream and saw Kagome flying and smacking into a tree. "Kagome!" He ran to her side to check out her injuries. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, barely coherent. "I just need to rest a bit, I feel like I've been hit by a train."

Her words didn't faze her friends, as they were all familiar with her future euphemisms. Inuyasha gathered her into his arms and leapt into the air toward a clearing. "I going to leave you here while I go back and help Sango and Miroku."

"Put me down, Inuyasha, I can fight."

"You can come back when you're not so lightheaded. Until then take five minutes and rest up." He rested her against a tree and headed back toward the battle, leaving her here. She rolled her eyes, how was she supposed to defend herself without her bow and arrows. They were knocked out of her hands during the blast.

He was so aggravating sometimes, she thought. This demon was after them because of the shards around her neck, she was probably in the most danger out of all of them, and he left her defenseless. "Argh! Stupid Inuyasha, where the hell did you take me anyway?" She lifted her ear to the sky and decided that the sounds of the battle were coming from the east. She ignored the dull aches throughout her entire body and stood up, mentally groaning but trying her best not to do it outwardly. Turning east, she made her way back to the battle.

Sango meanwhile was falling after losing her perch off Kilala. A blast of hot air from the dragon youkai had upset her balance while she was trying to toss her hiraikotsu and threw her off fire cat. "Sango!" Miroku ran to her aid, knowing that the cat would probably catch her, but he was willing to catch her in case Kilala was too late. The fire cat swooped down after her and Sango managed to catch her by the nape of her neck, and swung back up on her back.

"He has to have a weak point," she shouted to nobody in particular. "We can't keep this up forever." She watched as Inuyasha continued to swing his sword randomly at the demon, while at the same time avoiding the swinging tail and arms. "Inuyasha! Find a vulnerable spot. There's one somewhere on him."

"What the fuck do you think I've been trying to do. The scales are thicker than Sesshoumaru's armor. I haven't been able to find a weak point yet."

"What about the eyes. Aim for the eyes, start hacking and slashing there. It may not be the killing point, but hopefully we can blind him. Maybe then we'll have the element of surprise."

Inuyasha grumbled a bit before doing what Sango had suggested. He was disgusted with himself for not thinking of that first. It could have saved them a lot of hassle. "Sango, Miroku, distract him."

Sango swung her arm back and sent her hiraikotsu flying through the air, aiming for the dragon's midsection in the attempt to knock some air out of him. Miroku meanwhile sent a pile of ofuda's his way. They may not be powerful enough to purify him, but they could pack a punch. Inuyasha meanwhile leapt from tree to tree trying to get the height required to hit him in the face. He needed to do it while the dragon was preoccupied, or he was toast.

"Wind Scar!" He sent another golden stream of light toward the youkai's face, hoping with everything he in him that it would hit. "Ha! Take that you stupid dragon."

The dragon youkai reared back in pain as the wind scar hit him smack in the face. The others took a moment to catch their breath without taking their eyes off the dragon. "Stupid half breed," the dragon started to laugh. "Your fang is useless against me, I'm still alive and soon the shards around the miko's neck will be mine."

"Not in this lifetime," Inuyasha scoffed.

"Inuyasha!" he turned to see Kagome at the edge of the battleground, an arrow notched in her bow. "Look at the neck."

He watched as the dragon youkai lifted his neck while flailing around from the sting of the wind scar. "Got it," he yelled back. "Ready?" He assumed a battle stance.

"Whenever you are." She pulled the arrow back, aiming and waiting for the go ahead to let go.

"Go!" he released the windscar yet again and watched as it mixed with the glowing pink light from Kagome's arrow. The group watched in anticipation as the gold and yellow stream headed toward the neck of the dragon youkai, then fell to the ground in exhaustion as it was purified.

"Nice shot, Kagome," Miroku praised. He sent the last of his ofudas toward any lingering amounts of miasma to purify it.

"You know, you could have told us about the neck beforehand, Kagome. It would have saved us a long battle," Inuyasha said as he slipped the Tessaiga back into its sheath.

"Sit!" she retorted. "As it happens I only thought about while I was making my way back to the battleground. I had seen it earlier but I was too busy trying to stay alive to give it much thought. By the way, Inuyasha, don't you ever do that to me again. You yell at me for being so irresponsible with the shards, sit!" she yelled as he tried to pull himself out of the hole in the ground. "Yet you abandon me in the middle of nowhere with no form of defense while I'm carrying a vial of shards around my neck. If something had happened to them it would have been all your fault. Sit!"

"Keh" he groaned and gave up the attempt of trying to pull him out.

"Now now," Miroku interjected. "We just defeated a powerful demon. Now is not the time to be fighting. We should be rejoicing in the win and taking the time to replenish ourselves."

"Miroku's right. Kagome, do you have any more food in your backpack? I think now would be a good time for dinner."

"I might have enough ramen for one cup for everybody. I need to go home and replenish my supplies." She sent a pointed glare to the hanyou who was now sitting across from her, mentally telling him to not even try to stop her. He just turned his head and huffed. "But I think we should find a spot nearby that's not quite as battle worn as this. She took a look around the clearing to survey the damage.

Trees were uprooted and knocked over, some of those that weren't were missing branches, some had the leaves singed off them. The field, which was once full of grass was now barren, with small crevices streaked throughout the dirt. Crevices caused by the wind scar. Despite the fact that the dragon youkai was purified, there were still bits and pieces of him laying around. No, she certainly didn't want to eat here.

"Come on, let's go this way. There's a spring up ahead where we can bathe later and clean all this sweat and dirt off us." Kagome picked up her backpack and her bow, and started walking through the parts to the other side of the clearing, and suddenly stopped. The others watched silently as she turned and bent down to pick something up.

"What did you find Kagome? Did he have a shard you couldn't sense?"

Kagome looked up and glanced at Sango. "No, it's a two-sided mirror."

"It looks old," Sango looked over her shoulder. "But very ornate. I wonder what a dragon youkai was doing with a mirror like that."

"Feh, who cares," Inuyasha scoffed. "I'm hungry, forget the mirror and let's go eat."

"Wait Inuyasha, this mirror is powerful, you can feel it too, can't you Kagome?" Miroku asked.

"Yeah, I can. It's definitely not your basic mirror. Maybe that's what attracted the youkai to the mirror." She tapped a finger against the glass to see how sound it was. It broke immediately on contact.

"Some mirror, it's so old you can't even use it. Just toss the useless thing away and make me some ramen, wench. Some of us are hungry from the battle."

"I don't know, something's happening."

They all watched intently as the glass of the mirror continued to crack and break on both sides. Very thin cracks, barely noticeable to start with, but as it progressed, the mirror started cracking in half and eventually crumbled.

The group looked on in awe as two lights flew out of the mirror, a pink from one side, and a white one from the other. Nobody could move as they floated around their heads before the white one flew off in the distance.

However, the pink light had a different plan. The group's fascination turned to horror as the pink light turned on them and bolted straight to Kagome.

"What the?" she managed to sputter out before all she saw was black.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha ran to her side and caught her before she hit the ground in a dead faint.

The stoic lord looked over the mountain cliff at the valley below. Something was amiss, the air was all stirred and he could feel the disruption much in the same way as the humans could feel a windstorm approaching. It set him on edge.

"My lord?" A little green imp approached the lord standing on the cliff hesitantly. Years of serving him had allowed him to see little nuances of how his lord felt. However, Sesshoumaru ignored him, as he did much of the time.

His brother was battling with a random demon. He didn't care and disregarded the sight the moment he saw it. It had nothing to do with him.

But this growing power intrigued him, as well as unnerved him, he hated to admit. Moving his eyes slightly to the right, he glanced at his ward as she roasted a fish over an open fire. He knew with a single word she would have the fire out, and would follow him wherever he chose, the fish and her hungry stomach forgotten. Jaken would do much the same. He very nearly sighed. They had traveled all day and Rin hadn't eaten a thing. As much as he would like to leave, he couldn't without allowing her to eat something.

He tensed his hand as he could feel Tenseiga start to shake in its scabbard. 'What is it Tenseiga? You feel it too, what's coming?'

Ah-Un was becoming restless as the air changed again. It became more charged. "Rin."

"Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru?" She looked up from the fire as she finished turning her fish.

"Stay with Jaken and Ah-Un."

He turned and walked toward the east, where he could feel the power growing. He ignored the squawking of his retainer about the indignities of being left with a human child. He couldn't care how Jaken felt at the moment. If something was coming, he wanted to keep it away from his ward. Why he cared? He didn't know.

He narrowed his eyes as he saw a large blast of energy in the distance.

The Wind Scar.

He would recognize that power anywhere, and it was combined with the miko's arrow. For the half-breed to combine his powers with the miko, they had to fighting something bigger than they could handle. Naraku was the first thing that came to mind. Maybe that's why the air was charged the way it was. Something was coming and it most definitely wasn't good.

He watched on the sidelines as the group took down the oni, and though he couldn't scent Naraku anywhere near by, he figured he had to be involved in this somehow. He wasn't going to make his way down to the battlefield without seeing the demon first.

The demon fell to the ground before it was dissolved completely, and Sesshoumaru was sure something was up when the charge in the air became even stronger. He placed his hand on the hilt of Tokijin, preparing for whatever it was that may come. He didn't sense any other demons in the area, other than his travel companions, and the half-breed and his companions, but that didn't mean there were none in the area.

His eyes narrowed to small slits as he saw two bright lights fly out of the battlefield, one white, and one pink. He saw as the pink slammed into the miko and knocked her out cold. Pity, he thought. They went through all that work for nothing. What else should he expect from the half-breed and his friends.

Keeping an eye on the white light, he braced himself as he saw it fly overhead and into his direction. 'So this is Naraku's plan,' he pulled Tokijin out of the scabbard and braced himself. As the white light approached he stood his ground and sent a bolt of energy from his sword in its direction.

'How can it be?' was his last thought before the white light slammed into him.

Author's Notes

So battle scenes aren't my thing. There may be more in here, I don't know, but if it's weak, I apologize. I've always excelled more with angst than with battle scenes, and even in the X-Files fandom, where I wrote before IY, any climactic scenes had more to do with shootouts than tactics and battle.

Thank you guys for all of your wonderful reviews.

A Single Spark: Mir, BananaFlavoredEskimo, Noacat, MomoDesu, magnolia, Leunra (There weren't any gods or goddesses in the Jomon Period, or priestesses, but the way the challenge is worded, I had to take some creative liberties. Mind you, without getting into the whole religion debate, maybe there were gods and they were just unknown and waiting on the sidelines to be known…who knows), renee, and I agree. serasvictoria666, Krazie-edge, wicca-magick

I've been on a roll lately with writing, so you get a chapter early. If this keeps up, you should be able to get a chapter every few days. If not, it may be cut back.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha et al. do not belong to me, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi.


	3. Visions

"My lord!"

Sesshoumaru woke up to the sight of his ward and retainer standing over him, looking down on him. He nearly sneered in disgust knowing that they had seen him in a moment of weakness. He did not pass out for any reason. 'What had the power to do this to me?' he asked himself. Before moving he did a quick mental check of his body and found everything in working order. He wasn't sore, nor was he exhausted. There was no lack of strength in any of his limbs, or more importantly, his youki. It puzzled him more than anything else. What had the power to knock him out cold but didn't harm him?

Regally, and without a word he got off the ground and started walking in the direction of the battlefield. He didn't need to motion to his companions to follow, they already were. What was the most puzzling was as he walked, he not only didn't feel any exhaustion, but he felt a renewed sense of energy. Was he merely sleeping? Perhaps the light wasn't a demon, but a sleeping spell set upon him. He was hoping he'd find the answers at the battlefield.

As he walked toward his destination he could hear Jaken continuing to squawk about how he was knocked out, if he was alright, that he's never been so scared in his life. Sesshoumaru had reached his wits end, however, when his retainer mentioned that this wouldn't have happened if he were there with him, presuming of course that meant that he needed Jaken's protection. "Jaken, silence."

He took great delight in the natural sounds around him, the shifting of the branches and leaves on trees in the wind, the sound of water running nearby. These sounds didn't do anything to calm him, he could care less about it, but they kept him on the alert so he would know if something else strange was heading his way.

As he came closer to the battlefield, he could pick up new scents, although they were most familiar to him. The half-breed and his companions. They had been there for quite some time, as determined by how strong the lingering scent was, but as he came upon the clearing, there was nobody there.

'When did they leave?' It must have been when he was unconscious and he growled at the thought of missing them. They were the ones battling the dragon, they would be the ones who knew best what happened.

And if he learned that whatever had happened would harm him, their lives were forfeit for releasing such a power.

What bothered him most though was there was no lingering scent of the demon. That was most strange as there was usually some remnants of a dead demon around, either the carcass, and if not the carcass, than the scent of death. But there was nothing other than what looked like a battletorn field. The ground was freshly torn up, as well as trees were freshly knocked down. Those were the only indications that there was an altercation here not so long ago.

But how long was he passed out? He'd have to figure that out later, he wouldn't lower himself to ask Jaken, but he knew if he was patient enough, Jaken would get irritated at being silenced and would eventually let him know when asking for his concern again.

He turned to leave from the clearing when he could start to feel his head to hurt. Was this what the light did?

"Rin, Jaken, leave." He ordered, and hoped they left quickly, the headache was becoming too much to bear.

"But Lord Sesshoumaru?" Jaken protested as Rin turned Ah-Un around to leave the clearing.

Sesshoumaru snarled, showing that he meant business. "Leave. Now. Take Rin to the grand cave in the west and stay until I arrive."

"Come Master Jaken," Rin called from on top of Ah-Un. "You heard what Lord Sesshoumaru said." Ah-Un reached down and grabbed Jaken by the nape of his neck with his mouth before turning around again and walking off. Sesshoumaru was thankful that at least Rin would listen to him without question.

As soon as his ward and retainer were out of side he collapsed against a tree and cradled his head in his arm. 'What the hell is going on?'

Inuyasha sat next to Kagome's pallet at Kaede's, refusing to move until the girl woke up. He had wanted to stay and figure out what the pink light was and what it did to his best friend but common sense won out, and he knew it'd be better for Kagome if he took her to Kaede. If Kaede couldn't figure out what was wrong with her, she'd at least be able to keep an eye on her and heal what she could. He looked next to him and could see Shippo was beside himself with worry. When he had walked in the door with an unconscious Kagome Shippo had gone on and on blaming Inuyasha for this and saying that if he was with them, this would never have happened. Inuyasha let Shippo believe what he wanted, his first concern was to get Kagome to wake up.

"Any change?" Miroku and Sango walked into the hut carrying a few dead rabbits so Kaede could make a stew.

"Nothing. She's not even making a sound."

"These things take time, ye need to be patient, Inuyasha." Kaede thanked the two for their catch and proceeded to raid her shelves for some cooking herbs, and vegetables. Keeping busy was easier than sitting and worrying. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out what was wrong with her other than exhaustion, and if the others hadn't told her about the pink light entering her body, she would have said as much.

But she didn't sense anything different about the girl. Her aura was the same, so it wasn't a demonic energy, or if it was, then her body was unconscious because she was fighting it. But then she would have sensed a struggle within the girl. She didn't sense that either. In fact, the girl seemed perfectly calm and natural in her unconscious state.

She didn't know if she should be worried or relieved.

"Let me help, Kaede." Sango took a rabbit from Kaede and followed her outside to clean and cut it. For the past few months Kaede has been taking Sango aside to show her how to cook different things. She knew things between her and the Monk were getting better, and he'd appreciate a woman who knew the basic home skills. Sango insisted she wouldn't change, but she knew she'd have to learn to at least feed herself. It was pretty sad that Kagome, a girl younger than herself and most certainly more dependent on her family could cook a decent meal while she couldn't.

"What do you really think is wrong with her?" she asked Kaede, knowing that Inuyasha was too preoccupied inside the hut to hear.

"I do not know. It's most puzzling but I'm sensing nothing is wrong. Maybe it's just what it is, light. Perhaps she passed out because of exhaustion from the battle."

"She was fine after the battle though," Sango handed Kaede the first rabbit so she could cut the choice cuts off it, then began on the second. "She was up and walking around and ready to prepare a meal. It's not like Kagome to be running around one moment and collapsing the next. I know that light had something to do with it, I just don't know what."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I hope for Kagome's sake it's nothing serious. But I tell ye Sango, I cannot fathom what that light can be. I sense nothing harmful in Kagome's body."

Sango sighed. All of them were puzzled. Kaede was right, there was no evil aura around Kagome, nothing seemed out of place, much like it did when Tsubaki cursed her, but she was still unconscious. And that was unusual in itself. She still thought something was wrong as Kagome wasn't one to just fall over like that. She has seen Kagome past the point of exhaustion. She teeters and slows down and will usually 'sit' Inuyasha until they rest. She's always been aware of when she's past that point.

Not to mention the bright light slamming into her body at the same time. It was too coincidental. If they knew where the white light went, then maybe they could find out more information. But there was no way to figure that out. She sighed as she handed Kaede the second rabbit and began chopping some carrots.

While Kagome lay still as a stone on the pallet in the hut, her mind was racing. Kaede was wrong about there not being an internal battle with her, but how you can you visibly battle that which is not visible? Her miko powers were working hard to not reject, but understand that which had invaded her. Why was she chosen? If the light was a youkai of some sort, it would have instantly been purified, or kill her, there would be no blending of the two. But this was different, almost holy like her. How can it reject something that was much like itself?

Everything was starting to give her a headache as she mentally tried to sort everything out. She tried reaching out for her friends, but her body didn't have the energy to wake up yet. She knew they were worried for her, she could hear them as they were discussing the possibilities. She just couldn't respond.

What was wrong with her?

'Kaede, something's happening!' She could hear Inuyasha call out and she wished more than anything that she could tell him she was all right, that she just had a headache. Her body wouldn't respond though. She could feel a cool cloth behind draped over her forehead, and while it would normally help ease her headache, it didn't faze it. She wanted to whimper, to cry as it increased in intensity.

'She has a headache, Inuyasha. I've seen this in many others I've nursed when they were unconscious. Look at her temples and notice how they throb slightly. Best we can do is keep her comfortable. I'll make up a brew we can slowly feed her to help with easing the pain.'

She wanted to calm the hanyou down, she could feel the panic rolling off him in waves, and while she would normally be thrilled knowing he felt that way toward her, she was more concerned with waking up and ridding the headache.

_Let it go…_

_  
_Kagome's subconscious stilled itself at the voice and stopped all together, allowing the headache to take over.

_Five year old Mokuren snuck away from her parents to slip into the water on her own. She knew she was forbidden to do such things. As she was told by her parents and the other villagers, there were a great many dangers in the world around them, especially for a young girl. She was being trained to become the next trival priestess, succeeding her grandmother. Both of her parents had been blessed and didn't receive her grandparent's holy powers. She, herself, wasn't so lucky. At five she already knew the responsibilities that would follow, she knew the burden she would have to carry. _

_Her grandmother was a special case, the only reason she was allowed to take a partner was because the man she had fallen in love with had holy powers himself. That was the only way the tribal members would ensure she would produce a worthy heir. At five, she knew the same fate awaited her. She was to take a holy man as a partner, or no man at all. _

_She sighed, these were the years where she was supposed to be like the other tribal children, playing games when they had found a place to settle. She hadn't played a game in 36 moon cycles. She wasn't allowed to be left alone anymore either, to ensure that the purity of the line. Every now and again she was able to steal a few minutes for herself and get away. Today she had decided to bathe privately. It was truly sad to her that five years old she looked forward to the moments where she could be by herself._

_She could never again act her age, such was her curse, but she could be herself on her own occasionally. _

_She lay her clothes on a rock before stepping into the hot water. She only remained waist deep as she wasn't able to swim very well. The child in her came out and she started to splash around, relishing the ability to play, even if just for a short time. Occasionally she would giggle and laugh as the water hit her face, but for the most part she was quiet. _

_She didn't stay very long in the water, knowing she couldn't afford to, and was soon ashore getting dressed again. She was about to return to the tribe when she heard a rustle in the bushes. What had she gotten herself into? She fell backwards to the ground in fright at the sight of the bear demon emerging from the bush. She may be grown up and wise beyond her years, but she was only five, how could she possibly defend herself from such a beast? Her holy powers were only just starting to develop._

"_Pathetic human," the bear demon growled at her. "At least you'd make a tasty snack."_

_She tried not to cry as the claws came reaching toward her. If she was going to die, she was going to die with some dignity._

_However, much to her surprise the killing blow never came. She opened her eyes to see the bear split in half and a much larger demon flicking blood off his claws. She watched intently, feeling something that was a combination of fear and awe. She was awed by the sheer power radiating off this demon, but she would be fool if she didn't fear him as well. She knew him, she heard of him in her daily lectures by her grand parents. He was the one demon to fear above all others. _

_The lord of them all._

_Shion, the great demon lord._

_He stood there regally, with his long black hair flowing in the wind, and his green eyes focused intently upon her. Something deep inside her told that he wouldn't harm her._

"_You know who I am," he stated matter of factly._

_She nodded dumbly, not sure if she could speak, and if she was able to, what she would say? She was a human and she was five. He wouldn't take her seriously anyway._

"_Come little one, I'll make sure you get back to your village safely." He rached for her hand and she willingly grabbed it and followed him back to the edge of her tribe's encampment. He gave her a little shove in its direction. When she turned to thank him, he was gone, and she was alone again. She sighed. It was back to her training._

Kagome bolted straight up from her pallet, breathing heavily as if she had just woken up from a nightmare.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha was to her side in an instant, holding her steady.

"Shion," she breathed out, speaking the first thing that was on her mind.

Author's Notes

Disclaimer: Inuyasha et Al belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Shion and Mokuren belong to Jay FicLover and myself

Ah my muse is being wonderful for me. I just finished writing Chapter Four and I'm starting chapter five. This means that you guys get Chapter Two now. I especially love chapter four…it practically wrote itself.

Thanks for your reviews, they make my world go round!

A Single Spark: nostalgic-maiden, Noacat, kotainuchan, Shaedow, Mir and wicca-magick, serasvictoria666, SesshysRedAngel, and CassialDarkfox

Thanks a whole bunch guys!!

Priestess Skye


	4. Visions II

Sesshoumaru's world nearly went black as he let the headache over take him. As much as he could fight it, fighting it was only making it worse. It was a weakness, a new flaw, and as much as he wanted to eradicate it, he realized he wasn't strong enough, he wasn't powerful enough. However, as much as he knew he couldn't beat the oncoming headache, he wasn't going to let it defeat him and knock him out unconscious, not again.

As he struggled for consciousness he could see varying images throughout his head. _A small human child, no older than 24 moons playing with other human friends. _Why did he care? Why was he seeing images of a human child that was not Rin. He knew, even at such a young age that it couldn't be Rin, the features were different.

_The little black haired girl, slightly older now, with the most amazing blue eyes he had ever seen being taken away from a group of children by an irate older woman. What was wrong? Why was the child being taken away from her friends? They were doing nothing wrong. But she was special, she was different, he could sense the power radiating off her since she was a toddler, since he had first spied her in the group._

_To be a child and to have that much power, she was destined for greatness. What greatness, he wasn't sure, but he knew he wanted to be there and watch her when she achieved her destiny. He was curious, fascinated, wanted to learn so much more about this mere human who's raw power nearly rivaled his own. _

_Mokuren._

_He heard one of the tribal women speak her name and saw the girl snap to attention. So young, he noted, yet already so grown up. Her eyes held more than simple childlike wonder, they held a wisdom beyond her years. They were no longer innocent. That sight alone made his blood boil. Stupid humans, how dare they do that to a child!_

_Youkai pups were so different, young for years until they started to mature around the time a human child of the same age would be fully grown and off and married with children of their own. They were allowed to roll in the hills, frolic with other pups, not have a worry in the world until they started to mature and were forced to train._

_His own pack was filled with pups and he took great joy in letting them act like pups until the time came when they no longer could. _

_He watched her head bow in submission as she listened to the older woman then went off to complete her tasks. He was disgusted, so young, and yet so grown up and performing chores. She was special. He vowed then to offer her his guardianship and protection. If nothing else, he would be there to help make her life easier when he could._

Sesshoumaru caught his breath after the first dream. It had to be a dream, or some sort of hallucination from the white light and headache. Yet it seemed so real. It seemed as if he, Sesshoumaru, lord of the west, was fond of a mere human he had never met before. Impossible, he scoffed. He cared for no one. But he was not to be left alone in peace. His head pounded and he nearly toppled over in agony as he was hit again with yet another hallucination.

_He was standing on the side of a stream, smiling at the young girl who had decided to run away from her tribe for a few moments peace. From his observations he had learned that she was to be a powerful priestess, a role that contains far too much responsibility for such a young child. He felt for the girl. What he felt, he wasn't sure. Was it pity? It might have been as he would surely know how she feels. He could remember being young once, and had started his training early to become the next lord of the youkai. His father had died in battle while he was still a pup, and as such, he couldn't live out his childhood like the others._

_Or was it something more? At first he had brushed her off as a mere curiosity, a human child with so much power. But she seemed so much more now. He had become her protector, unknown to her._

_He averted his eyes slightly as she undressed and placed her clothes on a rock. She may be a child, but she held some respect with her tribe, and therefore he would treat her with the same respect. He smiled though when she started acting like the child she was. This was more like it, this was the Mokuren he wanted to see._

_For the first time in a long time, he thought in awe, he was content. _

_He was jarred out of his thoughts when he heard a loud growl and saw a bear youkai approach his protected. _

"_Pathetic human," the bear demon growled at her. "At least you'd make a tasty snack."_

_Like hell, he thought. And rage overwhelmed him as he leapt from his spot from across the clearing. Blindly, he swiped his claws at the bear demon, enjoying the sound of flesh being torn, and the feel of the bear's hot blood running down his hand. Nobody threatened what was his and got away with it. _

_He looked at the girl who was cowering now stand up and face him, and saw a flash of recognition pass over her features. _

"_You know who I am," he stated matter of factly._

_She nodded, and he nearly sighed. He was hoping she would have at least said something. _

"_Come little one, I'll make sure you get back to your village safely." He reached for her hand and she willingly grabbed it and followed him back to the edge of her tribe's encampment. He gave her a little shove in its direction, knowing that he couldn't go any further. They'd kill him on sight, then kill her for merely being in his presence. As soon as she turned her back to him, he disappeared. _

"_Until we meet again, Mokuren," he whispered to nobody in particular._

Sesshoumaru lifted himself from his spot on the ground against the tree, his eyes turning back to his shade of gold after having turned slightly green earlier. 'Mokuren'. He now had a name. But that was only the beginning. What were the visions, the hallucinations? They almost felt like memories to him. But they weren't his. Whose were they? He wished the young girl, no Mokuren, would have said the name so he'd have a better idea of what was going on.

He looked in the distance toward Edo. He would have to find his answers with his half brother, as much as he despised the idea. However, it was his brother who battled the pitiful dragon, and it was his brother who released the white light. Perhaps he, or his companions, would have an answer. Rin and Jaken were going to have to wait just a little bit longer.

"Mokuren," he said unknowingly to the wind before continuing on his journey.

"Shion?" Inuyasha seemed rather put off when she woke up speaking another man's name. He was her hero, wasn't he? So why was she speaking of somebody else after he carried her all the way back to Kaede's and sat by her side the entire time.

He watched as her erratic breathing slowed and regulated. "Kagome, who the hell is Shion and why would you say that name?"

"I don't know," she was confused by her dream. It seemed too real to be a dream, but she didn't know anybody by the name of Shion. "At least I don't think I know."

"You don't think?" Inuyasha jumped up and started pacing. "What do you mean by that? Of course you know this Shion or else you wouldn't have called out his name."

"Inuyasha," she half sang. "Sit!" She took satisfaction in the loud crash before she tried to gather her thoughts. "What happened?" she asked. She winced as Kaede felt her forehead for her temperature. It was still sore and slightly throbbing from her earlier headache.

"Rest child," Kaede said as she handed her a cup of tea. "We do not know what is wrong with ye."

Kagome took a sip of the brew, relishing the sweet taste as it slid down her throat. "I don't remember much. One minute we were looking at a mirror on the ground, the next I'm waking up here at Kaede's."

"We were hoping you could help us figure this out, Kagome," Sango said as she stirred the pot of stew over the fire pit. "Were you feeling anything different while you were asleep? We couldn't detect anything wrong with you physically, but you gave us quite the scare. It was almost like when you were cursed by Tsubaki."

"I don't think I'm cursed," Kagome started to panic and searched for the jewel shards on her body. Relieved to find they were still pink, she took a deep breath. "It doesn't feel like a curse, but I don't feel like myself either."

"Who is Shion?" Inuyasha asked, again.

"I don't know," she rested her head in her hands. "I dreamt of him, at least I think it was a dream, but I don't know who he is."

"Perhaps, Kagome," Miroku speculated. "That whatever that light was that knocked you unconscious was playing with your psyche, making you have an overactive imagination."

"It's not that, Miroku. It seemed real. It felt as if I really knew this youkai, as if—"

"Youkai?" Miroku interrupted.

"Yes, youkai. He looked remarkably like Sesshoumaru, but he wasn't Sesshoumaru, I don't even think there could be a relation."

"Dog demon." Sango confirmed.

"Yes, I think so. I mean he had a mokomoko-sama as well, but it was black. His hair was black, and he had green eyes. His markings were similar too. Blue jagged stripes on the cheek."

"I've heard of such a demon," Kaede interjected. "I can't remember the story, but I do remember hearing the old priestess tell Kikyou a story regarding the demon."

"And a little girl, Kaede. There was a little girl in my dream, she was five years old and yet so grown up. A future priestess, I believe."

"Hmm, let me think on this. Rest now."

Kagome lay back in bed, nursing the constant throbbing of her head. While the headache had dulled down to a mild throbbing after the dream, it didn't stop. And she had this urge to get out of bed and go somewhere. Where, she didn't know, but she felt like she needed to be somewhere else.

She thought back to the demon in her dreams, Shion, he had a name she reminded herself. Was he real or just a figment of her imagination? That pink light did something to her, she knew that much, but if it was just dreams, she'd be able to handle it okay.

Shion. She felt as if she knew him, that she knew him beyond the dream she just had, that she had had more intimate moments with him than him just saving her life. No, not her life, she reminded herself, but the little girl's.

"Mokuren."

She jumped up from the pallet, ignoring her headache when she heard the deep voice at the doorway of the hut.

"Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha growled, placing his hand on the hilt of Tessaiga.

'Mokuren', Kagome thought. That name sounded familiar, too familiar as if it were an extension of herself. She looked up at the demon lord standing in the doorway and noted the discoloured eyes. 'Green, how weird, just like Shion's'. She was surprised that thought had popped into her head. And even more surprising, she found she wasn't scared of the demon lord, in fact, she was drawn to him.

"I know that name," she said aloud, fighting the feeling that was coming over her.

"What?" The others looked at her as she made her way to the demon lord.

"Mokuren," she confirmed. "I know that name. That's me." She let out a small 'eep' as Sesshoumaru, no Shion she realized pulled her flush against his armor. And it felt right, which surprised her even more. Some part of her was telling to step back, that this wasn't what she wanted, that he was a cold blooded killer, but another part of her relished in the feel of him around her.

"Come with me," he whispered into her ear, and Kagome gave herself the moment to flush before she came to her senses and tried to pull away from him.

He seemed to have woken up from her struggles, and when she looked up at him again, his eyes were gold, and glaring at her. "What did you do to me woman?" he demanded.

"I didn't do anything," she stood her ground. "You're the one who came in here and grabbed me."

"As if I'd ever willingly touch a human." He nearly snorted, but stopped himself in time.

"Well you touched this one, quite willingly I might add." She turned her back and stormed back across the room and sat on her pallet. "What brings you here anyway?"

"The battle." He turned to speak with Inuyasha. "You were fighting a low level demon earlier. A dragon."

"Yeah, what of it?" Inuyasha confirmed, warily.

"What did you do?"

"I defeated the demon," Inuyasha said proudly. "What the hell do you think I did?"

"Something happened," Sesshoumaru stated matter of factly.

Meanwhile Kagome gasped. "It happened to you too!" She ran to him and took a good look at him. "You received the white light."

He slid his gaze over to her. "There were two of them. What were they?"

"We don't know, Lord Sesshoumaru," Miroku spoke up, bowing low so hopefully the youkai would listen to him instead of slicing him to shreds. "The second light, the pink one, was absorbed into Kagome and we haven't been able to sense anything wrong with her yet."

"Have you been having any weird dreams lately, Sesshoumaru?" Kagome saw his eyes widen just a fraction in shock before they settled back to their cold, emotionless glare. He didn't need to say anything, he had just confirmed what she needed to know. "They came from this." She held a small, antique looking two-sided mirror to him. "That's the only thing we know."

"Kagome," Kaede approached her. "Where did ye find this mirror?"

"It fell off the demon after we finished fighting it. Why?"

"I know this mirror, there's a story behind it, although I cannot remember it."

Author's Notes:

A huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, especially Kiba and Noacat on A Single Spark for helping me with the italics html code there. I got them to work before, and hopefully they'll work for me again!

I apologize for not listing names this time. It's nearing 2am, I just finished writing chapter 5 after fighting with it for a week, and I have to be up in four hours for work lol. So I'll include you on the next update. This time I just thought to get it posted before going to bed.

Now dsm1980 pointed out a continuity mistake in here. Because it takes me a few days to write a chapter or so I started the battle out with a dragon in chapter one. Somehow it turned to an oni in chapter two. (chapter one is The Mirror, not the prologue, the prologue is the prologue in case anybody's confused). I haven't corrected it yet because to get italics working in chapter two, I had to edit it like eighty billion times. It's working, I'm scared to touch it now in case it doesn't work again lol. It will be edited on my copy though, and once I'm confident in my html, I will change it here. But it should be a dragon.

Thanks again everybody!

Oh and disclaimer. Inuyasha and gang does not belong to me, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I do not make any money off this fic, nor do I have any money, so please don't sue!


	5. Fog

Kagome fiddled around with the cracked mirror and wondered for the thousandth time why she had to pick it up, why she had to tap the glass. And even more so, if it was so fragile, why didn't it break while the dragon youkai carried it? Was it possible that their killing blow had been the last straw for the mirror and when she touched it, that's when I broke? She wasn't sure she had the answers to any of these questions, but it did seem to be the source of these problems. She gestured for Sesshoumaru to sit seeing as he was now involved in said problem, before asking Kaede to continue.

"Ye see child, when I was younger, I remember a monk telling a story of an enchanted mirror to Sister Kikyou. I was spying in the bush because she said I was too young to learn the teachings she was learning at the time. I don't remember much because I wasn't close enough to hear the monk properly, but I'm sure this is the mirror he was talking about."

"Where would we find somebody who would know the story, Lady Kaede?" Miroku asked.

"In the mountains to the east lie a monastery. I believe the monk came down from there. I'm sure somebody there would know the story. However, be warned," she glanced at Inuyasha, Shippo and Sesshoumaru. "They won't take kindly to demons. Ye three may have to wait outside of the monastery while Kagome seeks the answers ye need."

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed. "Those monks can do what they want. I want to be there to hear the story for myself."

"As do I," Sesshoumaru murmured.

"Lady Kaede, I'm sure I can convince them to let the others in if they realize that they mean no harm," Miroku sent a glare toward the two youkai and the half-demon in the room. Kagome gulped as she saw Sesshoumaru's eyes narrow. He did not like to be told what to do.

"Surely they'd listen to Miroku and I," Kagome justified. "I mean they have to realize that they can't all be bad if a monk and a priestess is traveling with them. Besides, Sesshoumaru is in this too, he's going to want to know the story."

"Well try as ye might. Ye have a gift, Kagome, You might be able to use it to convince them otherwise. Give me an hour and I'll stock some food for your journey."

"Great!" Kagome clapped her hands. "While you're doing that, I'm going to run home and pick up some more ramen and a few more necessities." She sent Inuyasha a glare challenging him to contradict her, however, the word 'ramen' had shut him up.

She exited the hut and turned toward the direction of the well with her yellow backpack in hand. She wanted to speak with Sesshoumaru in private to see how the light was affecting him. She knew his pride wouldn't allow him to reveal anything in front of an audience, especially Inuyasha, she grimaced. But maybe he might say something to her knowing that she was going through the same thing. She recognized the name 'Mokuren', when he spoke it, would he recognize the name 'Shion'?

"Miko."

She woke up from her thoughts startled. Sesshoumaru stood in front of her, blocking her path to the well. A slight tingle of anticipation ran through her body at the sight. She smiled, now may be her chance, she thought. "Sesshoumaru," she greeted.

He moved to the side to walk with her, not sure why he was suddenly feeling so comfortable with being in her presence, but something had told him to follow her out of the hut and to her home. Something inside him wanted to be near her at all times, as if her presence seemed to calm him. He had never felt that way before around anybody, and he was rather disgusted that he was weak enough to give into this need.

"Would you mind if I asked you a question, Sesshoumaru? I don't mean to pry but if we want to figure this thing out, it's best if we're open with each other about it. I won't tell the others if you don't want me to" she blurted out. He looked down at her to see her brown eyes wide open in curiosity, a faint blush tainting her cheek. He nodded in assent. "You dreamt about Mokuren," she stated. He nodded again. "What about Shion? Do you know anything about a Shion?"

His eyes widened a fraction. "I do," he answered.

"Who is he?

He pondered that for a moment before answering. "He is me in my dreams," he answered. What did he have to lose anyway, she had responded the same way earlier. "From what I can gather, he is a great demon lord. Dog demon."

"Is he related to you?" she asked.

"No." They approached the bone eaters well in silence, and he wondered why they would stop there.

"Have you had a headache recently?" she asked him.

He was surprised at that, but then, maybe she had had one too. "Yes, just before the dreams."

"Me too," she whispered to him. "It confirms my theory about the light. Somehow it's affecting us and making us have these headaches and dreams. Why else would we be dreaming something so similar?"

"Hn." He wanted to ponder that thought for a moment.

"Listen, Sesshoumaru. Despite our violent history, I know you're an honourable man, err, demon," she stuttered. He didn't do anything other than look at her. He wanted to know what she was getting at by praising him as such. "Before I go home, I need you to give me your word that you won't use what you see against me. I need this well to remain intact, and you have to keep it a secret."

"What's so important about this well?" he asked, now curious.

"Just give me your word first. As a demon lord. You'll see why soon enough."

"You have it. Now tell me why."

"This well is a gateway to my home. Only Inuyasha and the others know about it, but I guess since we'll be traveling together soon, we have to learn to trust each other. This is a start, a show of good faith on my part." She moved her self to sit on the edge of the well.

"How do you expect to go home in a well?" Curiosity had turned to fascination. This girl before him was truly a wonder.

She giggled, and something inside him warmed at the sound. "It's magic," she whispered, before dropping into the well much to his horror. Something inside him churned and he rushed to peer over the edge when he heard a loud crash. What he saw at the bottom made his blood run cold, and a small whimper pushed him into action. He jumped into the well and grabbed the girl before jumping back into the clearing again. Why he was so concerned, he didn't know, what was one more human injured or dead to him? Maybe it was because he needed her to find the answers with him, much to his reluctance.

"Wench," he growled at her stupidity for jumping into a dry well.

"I don't get it," she whispered softly and he could smell the saltiness of tears. "Why didn't it work? It rejected me." She ignored the fact that it was the demon lord she was with and not Inuyasha, and clung to his chest sobbing. Sobbing because the well didn't work and she had no way home, sobbing because the fall to the bottom had twisted her ankle and she was in pain. Sobbing because it felt like the thing she needed to do.

If Sesshoumaru was himself, he would have dropped her to the ground and walked away. Human tears disgusted him. But something snapped in him and he could see he was fighting a losing battle with himself. He pulled her into his lap and wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.

'_So right,'_ a voice inside of him said. He recognized the voice, it was the same one from his dream.

Shion's.

With great reluctance he pulled her tighter and allowed her to cry into his shoulder. His body was urging him to comfort her and he had no control over it. He fought the fog that was threatening to overcome his senses but eventually he lost.

This girl was so soft and warm in his arms, and the tears were driving him mad. He pulled her away slightly and licked the tears off her face, ignoring her startled look. Despite the saltiness of the tears, he had to admit, her skin tasted good.

'_So right' _Shion spoke again. _'Mokuren'._

"Sesshoumaru?" He heard her speak, but the name didn't register with him. There was no Sesshoumaru. He took a good look at her though. Big brown eyes wide open staring at him, slightly wet , a flush to her cheeks, and her hair somewhat disheveled. She was irresistible to him. Now was his moment, now was the moment he had waiting several millennia for, waiting just for her. He crashed his lips to her, relishing in their softness, occasionally nipping her lower lip with his fangs.

She tasted better than he imagined, yet nearly the same as she did several millennia ago. He was hooked, addicted, she was his for life.

He pushed his tongue against her mouth asking for entrance, and growled low in approval when she opened. She was the sweetest thing he had ever tasted.

She went against her better judgment allowing him to kiss her like he had, but there was an internal battle waging in her. Part of her, despite the fact that she liked it, wanted it to stop. Why was she kissing him back? She loved Inuyasha, she had always loved Inuyasha. Yet another part, a more persistent part reveled in it, and loved him for it. It was a battle of wills and she lost.

She felt glorious at this moment, wonderfully cherished and extremely aroused. She mewled in pleasure, ignoring the pain of the spikes of his armor as he pulled her tighter against him. This is what she had been waiting for. Her brain fogged over as she immersed herself in the feel of him. He was so hard against her softness, so powerful, yet he held her so tenderly.

And the way he was kissing her? It was as if he was making love to her. She took her time exploring his mouth much like he did hers. Tentatively at first, but when he started growling in contentment, she became bolder, running her tongue over the fangs, delighting in the fact that they were dangerous enough to kill a man, making them all the more seductive.

They parted and her breath caught as she felt his mouth trail down her neck, nipping slightly along the way causing her to cry out for him. He paid particular attention to where her neck met the shoulder and she called his name as he nipped there too before running his tongue over it.

Shion's.

Not Sesshoumaru's.

That seemed to sober her up and as the fog cleared form her head she immediately stood up, ignoring his growl of displeasure. She looked at his eyes and saw them tinted green again, much like they were when he first entered the hut. It wasn't Sesshoumaru, she realized. He wasn't the one acting this way. It was Shion, but why would a man from a dream force somebody like Sesshoumaru, who isn't easily manipulated to be somebody he wasn't?

"Sesshoumaru," she called, hoping to break through his haze. "Come on, Sesshoumaru, this isn't you. Wake up." She backed away slightly, well aware that the demon in him would consider it a game and give chase.

His eyes seemed to flicker between gold and green and she tried again. "Wake up Sesshoumaru, don't let Shion take over."

His eyes settled on gold and the growling ceased. "What happened?" he asked, realizing that he couldn't let pride stand in the way of defeating whatever it was that was affecting them.

"I don't know," she answered. "One minute I was at the bottom of the well, upset because I couldn't get through, the next we're sitting here necking in the woods, and if I hadn't woken up when I did, we'd be well on the way of going further."

"Necking in the woods?"

"Never mind," she said. "Come on, we need to get back to the village and Inuyasha, I want to get on the road as soon as we can so we can find some answers."

He started walking, not looking back at her as he made his way to the village.

"Sesshoumaru, I think we need to make sure we're not left alone together," she said as she ran and caught up with him. "It seems as if dream Shion and dream Mokuren are trying to draw us together, and I don't know how far they'll take it."

"Hn." He agreed. As if some dream force could really manipulate him to their will.

Author's Note

Hello everybody, I can't tell you how thrilled I am at your reviews. I am truly touched that so many of you think so highly about this fic. For all of you who said you don't normally read or like SessKag fics, but are enjoying mine, I'm truly honoured. That is high praise indeed and it humbles me. Wow. Those of you who are complimenting me on the originality of my fic, thanks again, but I need to point out that as much as I would love to take credit for such an original idea, this was a challenge issued by Jay FicLover that I fell in love with, and that is where the kudos needs to be given for originality.

Chapters might be a bit slower to go up now as I'm getting bogged down with work, volunteer and other stuff. I should be able to update once a week though as the muse is cooperating with me regarding this story. Just so you guys know, I work two jobs, one in retail…which we all know to be a bear come the holidays. I work in a grocery store and I make party platters for parties and such, and oh boy, are there a lot of parties now. I'm going in and making almost two dozen trays a shift, it's crazy! My muse is also cooperating with me regarding a holiday Sess/Kag short. I haven't written it yet, but I've developed an outline and fleshed it out. So I'll be devoting my time between these two. But I'll let you know when that one is going up. I'm still focusing on this one.

Lastly, and most importantly, I want to thank all of the reviewers again from each site I post this story on. This is in thanks for your reviews for the last two chapters as I didn't get a chance to post them last time.

A Single Spark: Mika, beautifuldestruction, Kiba, DarkMiko6Decortiquer, mszbrownangel (Try copying and pasting this link into your favourites. If it doesn't work, then I don't know because it most certainly is a valid fic.  ) dsm1980, Noacat, shioriimaru, nilee1, Mir, Cochrann, hoshinofuru, and Spdsgirl. KitsuneFox (I fell in love with SessKag too but had trouble developing my own idea. If you go to A Single Spark and check out their challenges section, you might find something there that catches your eye. It's how I did it), CassialDarkfox, amhor56 and Jessica Broward, Martyrdom-99, Jay FicLover (I'm so glad you of all people are enjoying this story), HanyouKagome962, serasvictoria666, Bert8813, Sakura-no-hana-hoshi, Shinbuster, mangadreams, Eternityoftears, shmexysmexy, yuki-chan25, Kat57 and Demonic-One.

Until next time guys!

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and gang does not belong to me, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi.


	6. Tables Turned

Inuyasha had spent the first three hours of their trip complaining non-stop about the scent of Sesshoumaru covering Kagome. After about four sits, she decided to tune him out completely. On one hand she was immensely flattered that Inuyasha was jealous, at least she decided it was jealousy that made him act the way he was. It could very well mean that he had the same feelings toward her as she did him, but then, she was second-guessing herself there too. She knew he cared about her, and she knew that he loved her to some extent, but she also knew that he didn't love her as she deserved. Most people thought she was oblivious to this fact, but the truth was, she knew it all too well.

He was still in love with Kikyou, she had come to accept that, although she didn't embrace the idea with open arms. She harboured no hope of him leaving Kikyou just to be with her. She sighed and looked back at their latest traveling companion. It truly felt weird to have Sesshoumaru as a companion. Not once had he uttered the word 'die', she mused with a grin. While things weren't exactly hunky dory between the two brothers they had called a temporary truce for the journey.

Wait, she needed to rephrase that. She had demanded a temporary truce between the two and they had reluctantly, very reluctantly agreed. Inuyasha had said as long as Sesshoumaru didn't start anything, Sesshoumaru just grunted and walked past them. At this point she was more inclined to think that if they began fighting, it was probably because Inuyasha was the cause of it. She was beginning to think she needed to strengthen the incantation in the enchanted necklace, just so when he was forced to the ground, it would make more of an impact. Maybe then something would get through that thick skull of his.

She regarded Sesshoumaru for a few minutes though. He had hardly said a word the entire trip to anybody, probably because he thought himself better than everybody else, and probably because he had nothing to say to anyone. Except maybe her. He was quite chatty with her earlier. Maybe it was because they were sharing the same affliction.

Mokuren and Shion. That was another mystery all together. How could two beings created in a dream state garner control of their bodies, especially a body as powerful as Sesshoumaru's, and manipulate them to do their will? She herself was not easily manipulated, but she succumbed to their will so easily out by the well. She wanted to figure it out, she needed to figure it out and knew Sesshoumaru needed to do the same. But they couldn't be left alone together and he wasn't going to speak about such things in front of his brother.

It looked to be a lose-lose situation, especially as it was going to take another day or more to get to their desired location. As much as she trusted Inuyasha, she couldn't confide in him, not about this. Nor could she talk to Miroku. Sure, he'd be serious for a while, but his lecherous self would come out the minute he heard what happened at the well. It would be truly embarrassing, she mused as she tried to hide a blush rising.

Now Sango, maybe she would understand. She was a woman and would understand attraction, although she kept denying the fact that she might be attracted to the demon lord, very slightly attracted, after all, he was a great kisser, but never mind that. However, the problem with Sango is that she is a woman of these times, and therefore very shy about these things. It puts a whole new spin to the idea of 'generation gap'. So as much as she wanted to speak with Sango about it, Sango might not be ready to hear it. Shippo of course was too young, so that only left Sesshoumaru. She was hoping that both of them would be strong enough to talk about what happened, without letting it happen again. She looked back at him again and saw that his eyes were on her. She could feel a tingle rise through her body at the thought of being the centre of his attention. Now, was this her, or Mokuren, if Mokuren could even make her body react like this?

From their dreams they ascertained that Shion held a fascination for Mokuren, and from their actions earlier, it seemed as if the fascination went beyond that a demon's curiosity of a human child. She wanted to hear more of their story, what led up to them being potential lovers? Was that something that her mind made up? Was the light some sort of spell that forced their over active imaginations to come to life?

She scoffed at that thought. While she may have an imagination like that, she didn't think Sesshoumaru did. For some reason she couldn't imagine Sesshoumaru daydreaming about a priestess falling in love with a demon, or vice versa. She doubted he even knew what love was.

She dropped back from the group until she was walking next to the demon lord. She had so many questions, but knew she had to limit them to what he would talk about in front of the group.

"Mokuren," she whispered. "In your dream, was she a priestess too?"

"I believe so," he replied. "Shion could feel the holy power radiating off her. It was raw and untamed, but recognizable as such."

"I thought so. I was hoping this was a product of our over active imaginations, but I somehow doubt you'd dream about loving a priestess," she sighed.

Sesshoumaru smirked. "You presume correctly, Miko."

"This bites," she wanted to vent her frustrations, but she couldn't do so without worrying the others.

"This bites what?" he asked, not used to her 21st century talk.

"Oh nothing. It's just a saying from home. It means this sucks, this is frustrating, that we're getting nowhere with all of the questions we're asking. I really want to speak with this monk."

"Hn," he agreed. He was getting frustrated at not having the answers and not being able to get the answers he wanted when he wanted. Walking at this snail's pace when he could be doing other things wasn't going over well with him. Without the other humans around, he could have been at the monk's place in a little over two hours. But the humans needed constant breaks, whether to eat or just rest. Unfortunately he was tied to one at the moment, and where she went, so did the others.

The group walked another several hours in silence, this time with Kagome hanging back with Sesshoumaru most of the time, much to Inuyasha's dismay. And they seemed to be talking too. Jealousy reared its ugly head at the sight of the two of them together, almost as if they were comrades.

They weren't.

They were sworn enemies, and he knew once this mystery was solved they would go back to being enemies. So why was she spending so much time with him to begin with? It shouldn't matter to him, he had made his decision long ago to stay loyal to Kikyou, but that didn't mean he wanted to see his best friend hurt because she forgot that she was walking along with somebody who had tried to kill her several times before.

He leapt high up into the trees and scanned the area briefly, noting that another ten minutes to the east was a clearing with a nearby hot spring. There was a canopy of trees to offer protection against the weather if need be, but he didn't smell any rain to come. There would be plenty of dry wood for a fire, and he was sure with the nearby woods prey would be adequate.

"Yo, Sango," he called, knowing he could trust the demon exterminator to defend the others if need be. "If you continue to walk east for about ten minutes, you should come across a nice clearing. We'll camp there for the night and move out at daybreak. I'm heading off to find some dinner. I'll meet you there shortly."

As soon as he saw her nod he took to the trees again, giving him the pleasure to run for a bit before slowing down to find dinner. Running gave him the freedom to think clearly as there was nothing more relaxing to him than feeling the air whip past him. He was concerned for Kagome and the pink light. And some part of him was concerned for Sesshoumaru as well, seeing as he was a man who was not easily manipulated or controlled. Whatever they were dealing with was powerful, extremely powerful, and he didn't want to lose his best friend to it.

What was more agitating to him was the fact that she had returned from the well visibly upset, nervous and smelling like Sesshoumaru. She had explained to him that the well hadn't worked and that was why she was upset. And understandably so. But deep down he thought there was something more to this. For the first three hours of the trip she wouldn't go near Sesshoumaru. And then for the last several hours she spent her time confiding in the demon lord.

Why couldn't she confide in him?

Sure, he wasn't experiencing the same things as the two of them, and he may not be able to shed much light onto the situation, but she could have a some peace of mind knowing that he understood her and she had one hundred percent of his support.

Perhaps later, after he returned to camp, and after they all ate and cleaned up he would get a few minutes to talk with her, find out what's going on and find out what Sesshoumaru was saying to her. Meanwhile he had caught eye of a boar not too far off and knew it would be perfect for the group. He could cut off a few choice cuts to cook over the fire and leave the rest for his brother. From what he could remember of him from when he used to travel with him, it was that he enjoyed his meat raw.

Inuyasha snickered. Maybe Kagome would stay away from him then when she saw his eating habits. She had trouble skinning a small animal herself without wanting to vomit, and she had stated quite frankly one day that if he wanted her to eat, he wouldn't make her do such things. He flexed his claws as he crept up silently for the kill. They were going to eat well tonight.

Kagome looked around the camp as everybody was getting ready to settle in for the night. Miroku and Sango had settled into a corner by themselves and were talking quietly. It made for a very sweet picture, she thought to herself, and envied them for their love. After they defeat Naraku, both Sango and Miroku would get their happy ending. And what would she get? Either thrown back into the present without a chance of saying good-bye, or forced to stay here in the past loving somebody who didn't love her back. Even scarier was the thought that she might have to choose as to where she would live. She didn't want to leave her family, but she didn't want to leave her friends as well, they had become like a second family and five hundred years into the future, there was no chance of them being able to meet again.

Then there was Inuyasha. Regardless of where she chose to live, she wouldn't get to see him again because he had promised go to with Kikyou. Her only hope was to have Kikyou destroyed before she could drag Inuyasha with her, but to do that, she would have to get past him. And she couldn't do that to her best friend. He loved Kikyou, she accepted that, and it would destroy whatever they had between them if she tried anything.

All was quiet though and she figured now was as good a time as any to take a quick dip in a nearby hot spring. She needed to relax and she needed to sort through things without being interrupted. She turned to Inuyasha as she picked up her bag and told him she'd return in a bit. He didn't stop her, which was unusual. But then maybe it was because they were settling for the night and he wasn't on a desperate hunt for jewel shards. She grabbed her bow and arrows as a precaution. Not that she expected to get into a fight, but because if something crept up on her, she wanted to be able to defend herself. She scowled at that. While it was true that she had fine-tuned her skill while fighting here in the feudal era, her fighting still left a lot to be desired. She wasn't that confident yet with hand-to-hand combat, and her miko powers weren't fully tapped or trained yet. Of the lot, she was still the weakest one, much to her chagrin.

As she grew closer to the hot spring she could feel her skin start to tingle in anticipation, as if she knew she were heading to something big. If she were able to look herself in the mirror, she would see she was flushed and grew more so as a heat spread throughout her body. As she came upon the hot spring she nearly blushed at what she saw.

Sesshoumaru, naked sitting in the hot spring, relaxed with his eyes closed.

Whether or not he knew she was there, she wasn't sure, but if he did, he didn't acknowledge her presence. However, before she could turn around, her mind fogged over again, despite her trying to fight it. She looked upon his silvery hair floating and swirling in the water around him and a devilish grin took upon her lips. Quietly, behind a bush out of the way she stripped out of her clothes and softly padded into the water.

She saw his eyes open slightly, and narrow the minute he felt the water rippling toward him. Good, she thought. She wanted him to know she was there.

"Miko," was all he said, but she could read the unasked question in his eyes. She just smiled coyly at him and proceeded to move near him. "If you wish to remain among the living, I suggest you turn around now," he issued his ultimatum.

"I thought you wanted to be with me," she pouted and stopped within a foot of him.

His eyes narrowed further as they perused her naked body. "You are not who you seem," he concluded. "Mokuren."

"Yes, Shion, I've come to be with you," she took his acknowledgement of whom she was to proceed and placed her hands on his chest.

"I am Sesshoumaru," he seethed. "And you are not worthy to lay your hands on me." He grabbed her shoulders and shook her lightly. "Miko, you need to wake up," he commanded.

"The miko is fast asleep," Mokuren smiled. "Now is our time. We have waited for so long." She ran her hands up his chest and wrapped them around his neck, nearly purring in delight at the feelings he evoked in her. He was so hard and so warm. She only need to get a little bit closer. "Come Shion, you wanted me then, and I know you want me now. I have no obligations anymore." She lowered her lips to his.

Sesshoumaru, for some reason was reluctant to kill the wench who had attached herself to his person. Under any other circumstances he wouldn't have hesitated on snapping their neck or causing her a slow and painful death with his poison claw, but it wasn't the miko who was acting this way. As cruel as he was, he was also fair and honourable, and he couldn't strike her down for something beyond his control.

However, he was slowly losing control as she started nibbling on his lower lip as if it were her favourite treat. Her moans were starting to drive him mad and her soft body was setting his afire. If he didn't put an end to her soon he would lose all control himself, and he couldn't guarantee what would happen next.

It was an endless battle between himself, his beast, and the light that inhabited his body. With every bold move of hers he could feel Shion trying to rise to the surface, and it was something he couldn't allow. He had come to the hot spring to have some peace, and to get away from the priestess as her near presence was a distraction to the light within him. He sunk his claws into her shoulder, knowing no other way to break the spell other than pain.

With a sharp cry, she broke away from him, and he watched as her hazy eyes turned clear again. "Miko," he commanded once again.

"Huh?" He watched in veiled amusement as she realized where she was and shrieked. "Hentai," she dove into the water hoping for some cover. Little did she realize that with his superior eye sight the water did nothing to hinder the view. He wanted to smirk as he could feel her embarrassment rising.

"Your clothes are somewhere in that direction," he pointed in the direction from which she came, then lay back against a rock to enjoy the rest of his bath. "Stay any longer and I may not be able to keep Shion away," he warned before closing his eyes to allow her some modesty.

He thanked whatever kami were on his side that she listened. He was growing weary of fighting what would be a losing battle. As she walked from his view, he relaxed again, wondering just what the lights were doing to them.

Author's Notes

Standard disclaimer applies.

Hey guys, all right, who's ready for Christmas? I'm certainly getting there and in between this and baking and working and wrapping presents, I'm writing a special sess/kag Christmas fic too, so keep your eyes open in the next two weeks.

Thanks to:

A Single Spark: magnificentchaos, beautifuldestruction, nostalgic-maiden, kotainuchan, Kiba, Mikani, Kat, DarkMiko6Decortiquer, YallRCrazy, Shioriimaru and FrillingFreak, Bloodcherry, Kat57, lovelywitch, Jessica Broward, madmiko, Edward-Elric-x, VocalPointRox, EternityofTears, Person of Strange Origin, firevixen73 and Demonic-One. CassialDarkfox, amhor56, Trini421, JamminChick93613 and animealover


	7. A Story

The monastery was perched upon one of the higher peaks of the mountain, and looked quite majestic from where the group were standing. But they couldn't go any further due to the holy aura surrounding the place. Kagome could hear the two demons growl as they couldn't pass the barrier. It was actually quite amusing to see them agree on something, she thought, as morbid as it sounded. Although she would never voice her thought aloud, they really were quite alike in many ways.

"Miroku, I suppose we should make ourselves known to the monks and hope they'll allow the others in," Kagome sighed as she handed Shippo to Sango before readjusting her bag on her back. "Sango, you should probably stay here with the others and make sure a fight doesn't break out. We'll be back down shortly, hopefully." She sent a glare toward Inuyasha before walking away. She knew if she tried the same with Sesshoumaru, he probably wouldn't hesitate in lopping her head off.

She and Miroku left the others and started up the path to the monastery. She shuddered at the chill in the air and found it to be unusually damp, considering they were climbing up a mountain. "I hope they let us stay awhile so we can warm up," she shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself.

"I don't know, Kagome. If they're not welcoming toward demons, we may have to get back down to the others before nightfall. I wouldn't want any of their monks patrolling the area to try and attack them."

"They'll be fine Miroku. I'm sure they can stand up to a few monks." She pulled herself up onto a rock to avoid a particularly slippery path.

"That's just it. It's not them I'm worried about, but the monks. There would be blood spilled and I'm sure it would be Sesshoumaru who wouldn't hesitate to kill them."

She worried on that for a few minutes, knowing that Miroku was right. For all they knew the monks of the monastery could have already sent a scout down to deal with them. If any blood of theirs were shed, they would probably find it very hard to get any information out of them. "I wonder if it would help if I show them Inuyasha's subjugation necklace," she mused. "Maybe they'll be a little more lenient if they knew I could control his behaviour."

"That's all fine for Inuyasha, but what about Sesshoumaru? There's nothing you can do to stop him from senselessly killing somebody."

"I could get his word that he won't. He's a honourable guy, he won't back down from that, at least I don't think he will. After all, he wants this solved as much as I do." She sighed. "I think he just wants to get back to his life. He strikes me as a guy who wants to be in control, and I can tell you from experience, we don't have much control over ourselves whenever the light decides to play."

They could see the monastery over the next cliff and knew they were almost there. Miroku had put his arm around her shoulders in comfort, knowing she needed it to get through the next few hours talking with the monks. They were all worried for her, and worried about what that mirror contained. She continued to climb, nearly oblivious to the arm, yet thankful and watchful at the same time.

Thankful because she knew he meant well by the gesture.

Watchful because that hand of his was slowly slipping from her shoulders and making it's way down her back. "Keep it up Miroku and I'm going to have a subjugation necklace designed just for you." The hand instantly retreated.

"Now, now, Kagome. Sango's weapon is enough of a deterrent. Besides, you know it's not my fault, my hand is cursed."

She snorted, and then stopped as she saw two men in monk's robes approach. When they stood before her she greeted them and bowed low. She knew she had to play her cards right if she wanted to have the others with her when she told her story.

"Welcome," they greeted, and gestured to the building. "Tell us what you need and we'll do what we can to help."

Kagome smiled, hoping this meant they were open minded enough to allow three youkai and a half-demon on the premises. "We come from Edo and was sent here by Priestess Kaede," she explained. "She had heard a story told to her sister, Priestess Kikyou, and said it was told by one of the monks here at the monastery."

"Then by all means, please sit and join us," the monk began to lead them through the front gates. "I'm sure somebody here will be able to recall the story."

"Thank you, good sir," Miroku bowed low again. "However, we need our travel companions here to hear the story. We'd like to ask you to grant passage for them and allow them in your abode as well."

"Well of course, Monk," the younger of the two acknowledged. "When they arrive, they will be more than welcome too."

Kagome laughed nervously. "Thing is, they're not your typical travel companions. We travel with a demon exterminator, three youkai and a hanyou. They have given us their word that they will behave and not cause any problems, but the problem facing us currently faces one of them as well."

The older of the two monks narrowed his eyes at this. "Why would a priestess as yourself and a monk travel with such filth?"

It took everything she had in her to not hit him, or berate him for his close-minded attitude. She had to remember, it was a sign of the times. "My companions aren't filth, they are one of the few with honour. The hanyou is loud and brash, and tends to fight without thinking, but he would never hurt anybody who didn't attack him first. One of the demons is a child who lost his parents, one a pet, and the last a demon lord who has given me his word, as a lord, that he will behave. I trust them all to behave. You can trust them as well."

"And you say the demon is suffering from the same affliction as you?"

"Yes."

The two stood silent for a few minutes, as if pondering what to do.

"Please," Kagome beseeched. "According to Priestess Kaede, you are the only ones who may be able to help us. I wouldn't have asked for them to join me if it wasn't important."

The older one spoke up first. "You may go down and retrieve your friends. However, they will not be allowed to spend the night inside the monastery, however, they may enjoy the gardens as they wish."

Kagome and Miroku bowed low again in thanks. They both knew sleeping outdoors would not be a problem for any of them, especially Sesshoumaru who would probably not want to sleep inside the building anyway. "We shall return shortly and search you out when we arrive," Miroku replied before turning to find their friends.

Together they sat in the gardens with a group of monks, and their elder. The story they had told them would have seemed ridiculous to anybody else, but all of them listened intently and didn't question their sanity. Kagome placed the mirror on the ground in front of her for the monks to see, before glancing back at her comrades. Miroku sat next to her, knowing that the monks would treat them more as equals if they were talking to a holy man, and not just a group of travelers. Inuyasha and Shippo pretty much ignored everybody and focused on eating the food that was offered to them, while Sango sat between the monks and demons in the group. While Kagome felt she could trust the monks to remain civil, Sango refused to do so and was ready to stand up and fight for her friends should the need arise.

However, the other one this situation affected was laying reclined against a tree in the back with his eyes closed. To the casual observer it would look like he didn't have a care in the world, and that this trip was a bore to him. Kagome knew different. She didn't know how she knew, but something inside her told her that he was listening to the group intently.

"You said Priestess Kikyou told you this story?" the Elder monk asked.

"No, it was Lady Kaede, Kikyou's sister," Kagome explained. "Kaede didn't really know the story, but knew that one had been told to her sister about 50 years ago or so."

"Hmm," the monk looked down at the old mirror, contemplating it. "I never thought I'd actually get to see it." He looked back up at the group. "I was the one who had told Lady Kikyou the story about the mirror." He picked it up once he felt that there was no more power emanating from it. Instead, he could feel the power coming from the young priestess, and the demon lord. "It seems, however, that you had somehow managed to break the curse."

"Curse?" Miroku asked, wanting to know more.

"Yes, this mirror was once cursed, although the god who cursed it wouldn't view it as such. Several millennia ago there lived a demon lord, and a priestess, much like the two of you," he pointed to Kagome and Sesshoumaru, who snorted lightly at the thought. "The priestess of a nomadic tribe, as well as the lord of all demons at the time fell in love, despite the wars between mankind and beast. For years they kept their love hidden as she was to remain pure, and he needed to find a demoness to maintain his bloodline. But they would meet away from prying eyes."

_Come with me,_ a male voice echoed in memory in Kagome's head, and she grasped it slightly as she could feel an oncoming headache again.

"It is said that one day they were caught by man who wanted the priestess' affections for himself and he spoke with the high general of the youkai. Together they planned to overthrow the demon lord, the priestess wasn't to come to harm. However, overzealous youkai forgot the agreement and when an army of both man and youkai came upon the two lovers, both were killed in the onslaught."

"How tragic," Miroku murmured. Despite everything, he was a sucker for happy endings.

"It was, as it could have been the start of something good between mankind and demons," the monk confirmed. "However, before their souls could depart, the god Aizen-Myoo decided to give them a second chance and trapped their souls in a mirror, much like this one, with two sides. He called it a blessing; the rest called it a curse as both the demon and priestess's souls rested side by side for all eternity. So close together, yet not close enough to share in the love they once had." He sighed and placed the mirror back down. "It is strange though that I do not feel any power coming from this mirror. It is exactly as it is described, yet it is dormant."

_Monster._

_Whore._

_Demon._

The voices of many rang throughout Kagome's head as she blocked out the musings of the old monk.

_Filth._

_Tainted._

_Dirty._

The headache increased as the voices in her head got louder, until she finally snapped.

"Oh God!" she exclaimed, startling everybody out of their thoughts. She turned wild eyes to Sesshoumaru, who had come upon the same conclusion.

"Those lights," she said. "They're not a strange power or illusion of some sort."

Sesshoumaru nodded, following her line of thought.

She whispered, barely loud enough for anybody to hear.

"They're souls."

Author's Notes

Hey guys, sorry it's been a while, life before Christmas, I'm sure I don't need to say more. Anyway, seeing as it's nearing 1am, I'm just going to thank all of my reviewers in general and I'll list names next time. So a huge thank you!

My Christmas story is also posted now, Yuletide Memoirs, so feel free to check it out. I'll be updating that almost daily now until Christmas. It's posted on A Single Spark, and Mediaminer.

So, if I don't get to update here before Christmas, to those who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! I hope Santa's good to you.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and company do not belong to me, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi. However, Mokuren and Shion are mine.


	8. Roadblock

"Souls?" the rest of the group exclaimed.

"I think so, it explains why I couldn't get through the well. The magic in the well was reading a different body signature from me," Kagome scrunched her face. "That's the best way to describe it anyway. My soul is no longer my own, and although it's all there, at least I think it's all there, but there's also this other soul overpowering it, and maybe the well is reading this."

"Well?" asked the elder monk.

Kagome straightened up and started stuttering as she realized her error about speaking about her way home in front of strangers. "Oh, a well of power," she improvised. "You know, like a pool of power, someplace deep inside me that I gather my power from." She watched Inuyasha's face fall at the slight lie and it looked like he was ready to laugh at her lame excuse. "Sit," she said quickly, in an attempt to keep him from inadvertently giving away her lie. She watched the taiyoukai smirk from his corner as Inuyasha was forced face first into the dirt.

"Overpowering," Miroku pondered this for a minute. "Do you feel like this soul is overpowering you? Kaede and I couldn't sense anything different from you while you were unconscious."

"You sensed a battle," Sango corrected. "You said you sensed an internal battle, but you couldn't find anything bad."

"That's right. That's what that battle could be, both Kagome's soul and the new soul battling each other for dominance. Looking at Kagome now though, it seems as if her soul is winning." The group looked at her.

"Not so much winning," she muttered. "They're battling each other all the time, and I think Mokuren's soul is becoming more powerful."

"How so?" Miroku asked.

Kagome blushed and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't want the monk to know about her interactions with Sesshoumaru/Shion, he'd never let her live it down all the while tying to ask for more juicy details. "Dreams, memories," she said hastily, knowing that they were innocent enough. "That dream I had, I said it felt more like a memory, I think it is a memory. I know from talking with Sesshoumaru he's had the same, a dream of Shion with Mokuren and it probably felt the same as a memory to him too."

Sesshoumaru snorted, refusing to let on that he could be easily swayed by the souls within in front of the others. Yes, the miko knew, but then he had seen the same behaviour from her and he knew that she wouldn't want the others to know about her shameless attempted seduction from lsat night. She'd be absolutely mortified.

"Oh come off it," she nearly growled herself. "Remember we have to be honest here. It's just dreams, and everybody already saw you were half-possessed when you charged into Kaede's hut."

It was his turn to growl. "Miko, watch your tongue." He wanted it to be known that he didn't care for the others to know of this weakness. It was already bad enough that she knew, but then she was suffering from the same thing. "We will talk later," he said as he got up from the tree and turned away.

Kagome watched him leave and sighed. What was it about dog demons being so stubborn. Or canine demons in general she thought as Kouga's face popped into her head. That was for another time though and she turned back to the monks. "Thank you. You have given me a lot to think on tonight and I'd like to do so."

The monks stood up and bowed to the group. "We will leave you to your thoughts. We'll see you again in the morning if you have any more questions."

The group watched silently as they took their leave, then all turned back to Kagome, who was already deep in thought. "Miroku?" she asked. "Do you have any idea as to how to expel souls from bodies?"

He sighed. "Evil ones, yes, you can banish them with your holy powers. This is different though. The soul within you is a priestess herself, you said. She would have holy powers, and to have existed as she had in that mirror for all these years, she must be strong."

She nodded, confirming his thought even though she didn't really know. Something inside her just told her she was strong.

"And the demon within Sesshoumaru is obviously strong too, or else he would have been suppressed or expelled immediately. It takes a strong soul to overcome a demon such as Sesshoumaru."

"Keh," Inuyasha continued to munch on some food. "If anything it should give him some humility. The all mighty Sesshoumaru is no longer all mighty, he's just like the rest of us," he took great delight in that thought. "Maybe it'll help pull that stick out of his ass."

"Sit, that's not helping us any." She turned away from him. "What happens if we try to remove the soul from Sesshoumaru?" She didn't much care if she couldn't get Mokuren out of her, she knew she wasn't going to cause her harm, but if there were no Shion for her to go to, then maybe she'd lay dormant.

"That's the thing, I don't think we can, not without destroying Sesshoumaru himself. He won't react well to the use of holy powers on him." He thought more on it. "The animal instinct within him will tell him to fight back to defend himself. The animal instinct within Shion's soul will tell him to do the same."

"Then we'll have two youkai within one doing everything he could to survive," Sango concluded for him. "If we thought he was a tough opponent before, he'll be even more so now. It'll be like the other battles were mere child's play for him."

"Maybe the monks know a way to expel them," Shippo said, finally speaking up. "I mean if they know the story, and the history of them, maybe the can do something."

"I don't think so," Miroku answered. "It won't hurt to ask them in the morning, but those of us with a holy power can only do or know so much. A lot of us are taught the same way, and what may be best for now is to let the souls run their course. They're here for a purpose, I don't know what purpose, but it may just be best to let them fulfill it."

Kagome turned around and blushed. Like that was ever going to happen, she thought. She readied her bedroll for the night and walked into the woods to change into her pajamas. She yawned. She was exhausted, physically from the trip, and mentally from the situation. She figured if she slept now, then they could start fresh in the morning.

Sesshoumaru had seated himself under a large tree at a great distance from the others. He could see the miko as she readied herself for bed and he didn't want the temptation, he didn't want Shion to be tempted to go after him. After all he had a reputation to keep up and consorting with human females wasn't part of it.

He looked to the sky and allowed his thoughts to run free, the questions he wouldn't dare voice in front of others. 'What was Shion doing in his body? What was Shion's goal? How does one get rid of a demon soul without killing off your own?' They were all very logical questions, and though he'd rather be dead before he admitted it to anyone, he was slightly nervous, as well as frustrated. He didn't want this added burden of another soul, he wanted to be himself again. As his thoughts drifted off, so did he as he allowed the lull of the night to send him into a light sleep.

_He wanted to touch it._

_It looked so soft, almost like silk._

_Like the rest of her._

_But she didn't treat herself as if she were made of silk, he noted. She was in there in the thick of things, patching up her tribesmen after war with another tribe. Strewn about her lay about a dozen wounded men, and nobody to help her. The tribeswomen were busy preparing a victory dinner for their soldiers while the rest of the men cleaned up after themselves. _

_She was so young, and had already seen so much. Desperately he wanted to take her away from this mess and treat her as she deserved._

_Over the past 36 moons he had watched her mature way beyond her years, further beyond what she should have. He watched as she assumed responsibility as the village healer and priestess when her mentor passed on. He watched as she helped the wounded war after war after war. Last year he watched as a seven year old little girl fasted for the first time so it would rain for her people. She was astonishing_

_It got his beast all riled. _

_But not once did he ever interfere. Or approach her as he much desired. Not since that first time three years ago. Instead he watched her from afar, protected her from afar, recognizing her as the precious gift she was. And he never told his people, his family, his brother, knowing that the youkai under his lead would take no hesitation in killing him off for consorting with the enemy, for consorting with a mere human. _

_She patched up another man and Shion cringed at the blood coating her arms. The furs covering her were now soiled, and he hoped one of the tribeswomen would be kind enough to create a new outfit for her. The last time this had happened, he had procured an outfit for her after three days and left it next to where she slept. _

_She was unappreciated, he had heard the comments the others were saying about her and more than once he had cut his hands from digging his claws into the skin too tightly in an attempt to not spill blood in her name. She wouldn't like that._

_But she didn't take into consideration what she liked or didn't like. After all this time he had learned that she was selfless, and thought of others before herself. It was a damn shame too. There were so many selfish people in this world, and everyday another one is born. So why couldn't she be just a little bit selfish?_

_At times he found it hard to believe she was just a child. Like today when she was consoling a wife after her mate had passed on. It shocked him to see somebody so small, so innocent holding a woman old enough to be her own mother, in a mother's embrace. It saddened him as to how she lost her youth. _

_He broke away from his musings when he heard a rustle in a bush across the clearing. 'Youkai,' he thought with a sniff. He quickly masked his presence and silently moved toward the bush. If there were a youkai near the human camp, it were up to no good. As he got closer he picked up the scent better and something inside him told him he knew this youkai, he had come in contact with him in the past._

_Jiro._

_The brother of one of his generals. What was he doing so far from home? He watched as he held a sharp rock in a sling and took aim._

_And where he took aim made Shion's heart stop cold._

_Mokuren._

_He dove at Jiro just as he was about to let the object fly, and with the force of the impact, he threw off his aim. His claws were out and before he could think of what he was doing, he imbedded the claws in Jiro's chest and ripped his heart out, tossing it behind him. The beast wouldn't settle for anything less._

_He broke out of the red haze at the smell of blood, her blood, and he looked up. Her arm was sliced, not a large cut, but deep enough to make her bleed. She glanced at it once, and bound it before returning to her duties._

_She was safe._

_He was relieved._

_And it finally dawned on him as to what he had just done. He killed one of his brethren for a human child._

_And he knew there was no turning back._

Author's Notes

Hey guys, I'm so sorry this is so late. Life has been very hectic between Christmas and now. I'm finding some time to write again, but updates won't be like they were for a little while yet. I go through writing spurts when I find the time to actually write. Now, while my work life has settled down some, home life is chaotic as we're in the middle of renovations. While I also had an outline written to the point where I'm currently at (1.5 chapters ahead of this one), I need to spend some time fleshing out what's to come. Somehow I veered off my original track. But that's the fun thing about writing, you never know where a story is going to take you once you start writing, and I'm a firm believer in letting the story lead the way, rather than my predetermined outline.

So, hopefully there'll be more soon and that this chapter will tide you over.

Same disclaimer from the beginning applies to this.


	9. Stronger

Sesshoumaru woke in a near sweat, which was unusual in itself. He never broke out in a sweat during anything, not in battle, and most definitely not while sleeping.

And since when had he ever let his guard down to sleep so soundly when among strangers? Well maybe they weren't strangers anymore, but they certainly weren't trustworthy.

With the exception of the miko. He knew he could trust her and that was only because she had been gutsy enough to trust him with a secret that could very well destroy her. Maybe not physically, but if something ever happened to that well, she'd certainly be emotionally unstable.

_Mokuren_.

He fought the urge to go to her, scoop her up and take her away.

_Not Mokuren, Kagome_, he reminded himself, fighting against the soul within. He wasn't about to let Shion win. He wouldn't give his body to an entity that didn't belong there. But why him? Why did the soul have to enter his body? Why not somebody else, like his baka brother, or the monk? The monk was lecherous enough that he'd probably let Shion have his way and wouldn't fight him.

He looked at the miko fast asleep in her sleeping roll, the kit curled up next to her. Being this close to her was tempting, and it shouldn't be considering his view on humans. But he could feel the pull within him, something inside struggling to get him to succumb to its will.

'I'm stronger than it,' he repeated in his head, determined to win.

Looking back at the sleeping girl, he took off into the night, searching for some place to ease his mind, and perhaps sleep without being haunted by dreams.

His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, including possible places to go and people to see who would know anything about at trapped soul, especially one as powerful as the one inside him. Not that Shion was more powerful than he was.

He ran to his home deep in the Western lands, enjoying the feel of the air rushing by him. He wanted to kill something to ease his frustration. Everything was asleep, anything awake wasn't worth his time. He sneered at the inability of many low level youkai of being able to surpass their current strength and improve. There was nothing around that could defeat him at the moment.

What he wouldn't give for Naraku to show his face right now, maybe then he'd be able to vent some of his frustration and anger.

Or even Inuyasha.

But he knew with the promise the miko extracted from them both he couldn't fight him. He didn't lack honour to go back on his word.

He came to a halt when he arrived at his home, a small cave he had laid claim to many centuries ago. No, he didn't need comfort or luxury, he just needed some place to come back to now and again when he was finished with whatever business he had set out to do.

In the corner he could see his ward and retainer fast asleep, near a dying flame. He had satisfied his curiosity to know that she was safe. That's all it was, curiosity as nobody hurt or destroyed what belonged to him.

He settled himself into a corner across from them, satisfied that he wasn't anywhere near the miko, and looked into his mind to see who would have the knowledge he was seeking. As optimistic as the others were about the monks, he didn't share their view. They were merely human, what did they know about youkai souls?

'Bokuseno', he thought. The old tree demon should know a little something, after all he had been on the earth himself for a long time. He had seen and heard everything and had knowledge much more expansive than anybody else he knew. When he returned to the group tomorrow, he would let them know about his side trip, out of mere courtesy. The sooner the miko expelled the soul within her, the sooner she would stop throwing herself at him.

He rested his head against the cool stone and thought back to her again. How calm and peaceful she looked while sleeping, how her hair framed her face as it started curling from the damp air.

He could feel a growl begin to rise from his chest.

'_Mine.'_

His mind started to fog over again as he inhaled the scent of fresh flowers. It was so different from the miko's, but it belonged to her nonetheless.

_Mokuren_.

Sesshoumaru's eyes turned red before tinting green. She was his and was currently out of his reach. This wouldn't do at all. Without giving his actions a second thought, his mind clouded over completely and he took off into the night, forgetting the other occupants in the cave. He had one goal in mind, one person to see.

'_Mine.'_

Although to the others it appeared as she was sleeping, she was laying in her bedroll fighting the temptation to lay down next to the demon lord. His body looked warm and inviting in the cool, damp night. This really wasn't like her at all. She supposed though, that it was due to Mokuren's influence. It was amazing as to how accepting she was becoming of the situation. But it scared her as well.

And it made her uncomfortable.

There was this presence in her that didn't belong to her, unwillingly invaded her body to use it as a host. The soul's memories were now her own as they were slowly revealed to her, and who knows, perhaps her own deepest, darkest secrets were becoming known to the soul. It was an invasion of privacy is what it was.

But as of right now, they didn't have a solution to the problem. They weren't close to a solution and it was starting to irk her. She didn't even know where to begin searching for answers as this wasn't a common problem A dark priestess, perhaps, may know the answer as they dealt in curses as a trade, but she thought back to Tsubaki and didn't want that experience again.

No, they would avoid any and all dark priestesses until they had no other avenue in which to search.

Then there was the well. Her time was filled with knowledge and resources such as the Internet, which could help greatly, but it wouldn't let her pass. It dawned her then. Inuyasha could pass. She could send him with a note to her family, filling them in on the situation and ask them to give her friend the books she needed.

And maybe one of them could go online for her as well. Although she had slowly begun to teach Inuyasha all about computers and the wonders of the Internet, he was too impatient to be left alone with the computer. She could picture him taking Tessaiga to her laptop in frustration because it wouldn't do what he wanted.

No, that wouldn't do at all.

But the books were a possibility, and Souta was now old enough to distinguish which books in the library would be crap, and which might actually be useful. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was a start.

As she tossed and turned in her bed, she could feel a headache coming on, and dreaded what she knew was to come. She was exhausted, physically, mentally and emotionally, and didn't have the strength to fight her. Worn out from the day's adventures, she closed her eyes and let the darkness take her.

_She sat on a rock overlooking her tribes people set up camp once again. The game had moved on months ago and therefore they needed to follow as well. As of a few minutes ago she was helping this poor family set up their hut since the head female was heavy with child. The searing summer heat wasn't helping at all and the female was forced to sit while she and her man built the hut out of grass, wood and mud. _

_Barely out of childhood and she was delivering babies and building houses for others. Life wasn't fair sometimes, but for some reason, she was chosen by mother earth to help lead these people in her own way. For some reason, unknown to her, she was granted holy power and therefore she was expected to do things she once believed she would never have to deal with._

_She had stolen a moment for herself, knowing that she wouldn't get away with it for too long, knowing that her people needed her. But right now she needed her sanity. She needed to feel like herself. There were many people who would need her help, whether it was putting up a hut, or helping those suffering from exhaustion, or even walking around with a water sac to make sure nobody became ill from extreme thirst. _

_But what of herself? Surely she would be forgiven for being selfish once in a blue moon._

_She sighed and lay back on the rock. The sun beating down on it had warmed it some, but it felt so nice to be resting that she didn't mind the heat coming off it. It actually felt pretty good on her back._

_As she closed her eyes she could hear footsteps approaching her, and she didn't want to open them knowing she'd find another tribesman who required her assistance. Putting on a brave face, knowing that her rest was over for the day, she opened her eyes._

_And saw deep green ones staring back at her. _

"_Shion," she nearly trembled at the sight of the powerful demon lord. The rational side of her told her he wouldn't harm her, in fact he had saved her life once before when she was young, many moons ago. But she couldn't help but shudder at the immense power she could feel radiating from him. _

"_You remember," he sat on the rock next to her, looking down._

_She marveled at the way his black hair fell behind him, every strand remaining perfectly in place despite the wind. "One doesn't forget one such as you." She raised herself up so she was no longer lying next to him. If he was going to kill her, she didn't want him to do so while she was in a position of submission. "What brings you here?"_

"_I'm always here," he replied._

"_I've never seen you."_

"_I didn't want to be seen. Surely a priestess as strong as yourself has felt my presence around here." She thought back to the moments when she actually had some time for herself, and reluctantly she admitted he was right. She had always sense somebody nearby, but always brushed it off as it appeared to be non-threatening._

"_You're always here," she murmured._

"_And you're always working too hard."_

_She laughed. "It's my duty to work hard for my people. To be tribal priestess is something I take great pride and honour in."_

"_So you believe on the outside, I know deep inside you hate it, you condemn destiny for putting you in such a position."_

_If she were a demon, she'd have snarled. "Who are you to tell me how I feel."_

"_I'm always here," he repeated again. She could feel the blush rising in her cheeks as he reached out and ran a finger down the side of her face. His touch was a shock to her system, and the longer his finger remained, the more she craved him. "You're young yet," he murmured as he placed his whole hand on her face, cradling her cheek. She closed her eyes and savoured the first sense of true contentment she had experienced in years. His voice broke through her thoughts. "When you're older…"_

_He let go and before she could open her eyes, he was gone._

_Shion…_

The headache receded and she opened her eyes to the sun rising in the distance. She sighed and stretched as she thought of the dream, and smiled at the emotions running through her, even though she knew most of them didn't belong to her.

Wonder.

Excitement.

Nervousness.

Love.

Love? Was that what Mokuren was feeling? Did she love the demon Shion at that time? Probably not, but she was probably falling in love with him at that point. She could sympathize with the poor girl though. She knew what it was like to fall in love with somebody who was shunned by society. Neither human nor demon accepted hanyou. To love Inuyasha like she did only served to exile her from society even more.

But love was worth it, she knew. She'd rather love and be loved by Inuyasha any day than be considered a proper member of society.

But she compared her love for the half-demon to the love she knew Mokuren felt for Shion, and somehow it was different, weaker, not as intense. Could it be she didn't really love him after all? So many questions and no time to think them through. Even more so she really wanted to talk to somebody about it, but there was nobody to turn to here.

Her thoughts were broken though as she heard a large crash coming from across the field. And before she could blink she found herself face to face with the demon lord.

And all she could see were the green-tinged eyes.

Author's Notes

I know it's been ages, I'm sorry. Firstly, let me tell you, the block just sucks. To sit here and read so many great fics and not have inspiration for my own is horrible. I can't tell you how many times I've had a free moment here, or a free moment there and open my file only to type one line, then delete it.

Now, I really love this chapter for some reason. I'm having issues with chapter nine as it's not working. I'm thinking I'm going to delete it and look at it from another angle. Initially I thought maybe it's this chapter that's problematic, which is why it hadn't been posted yet despite the fact that it's been written for ages. But each time I reread this chapter I can't find a single thing I'd change. So, hopefully soon I can get chapter nine figured out, but the way I see it, I better post this one before I do something stupid and delete it too in my frustrations.

On top of the block, let's look at timing issues. I work two jobs and both are becoming increasingly busy as I get more and more new big name clients for one, and my responsibilities in the second keep increasing. Most days I'm working for 12 hours of the day between the two jobs. I'm also a girl guide leader and that has kept me busy between several camps, a major unit project (the girls put together a talent show), and now I'm attending a major camp that's coinciding with the Western Hemisphere Regional Conference, which is exciting as girl guides from all over North and South America will be in attendance, but I'm not ready yet and I only have a few more days to get ready lol.

But I heartily thank all of your for your patience in this. I haven't given up and I hope you don't either because your support means the world to me.

To my fellow Canadians, a very happy Canada Day tomorrow! I will be stuck working my second job (stupid retail taking Monday off instead of the holiday) but at least in the afternoon I get to partake in some of the festivities at my local city hall.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and Co. do not belong to me, they belong to the esteemed Rumiko Takahashi


	10. Separation Anxiety

"Sesshoumaru," she squeaked in surprise.

And nervousness as she saw his eyes, the gold in them now a bright emerald green. This wasn't the demon lord that she knew. He looked like a predator on a hunt, dangerous, deadly, she could see the anticipation of the kill in his eyes.

And she was his prey, and she knew very well that he had no intentions of killing her this morning. But that didn't mean she was going to let him win either. She laughed nervously as she watched him stalk her slowly; circle her slowly as if trying to figure out the best way to attack. She glanced behind her to see that her friends were still sleeping, except Inuyasha who had disappeared, probably for some food.

'Just great', she thought. She was sorely tempted to wake her friends up, but then she didn't want them witnessing whatever he had planned anyway in case they couldn't stop him.

"Mine," he growled low.

She was frightened. She had never seen him so overcome by the demon spirit before, and she didn't know if she could pull him out of it. "Sesshoumaru," she whispered, hoping his real name would trigger something. "Please stop," she backed away as he slowly moved closer to her.

He didn't answer her though. He didn't give any indication that he had heard her pleas, or understood them. He continued to stalk her intent on claiming her for his own. For all he knew, she figured, she was Mokuren, regardless of whether or not she was possessed at the moment.

"Oh God," she muttered. "Of all the times Inuyasha has to decide Ramen wasn't enough and go hunting."

What really surprised her though was her reaction. Mokuren wasn't going to show up, she instinctively knew this. Perhaps the dream she had was sufficient for the time being, but it was odd seeing as Shion's presence typically stirred the spirit within her own body. She didn't know if she should be thrilled or concerned. What if Shion realized Mokuren wasn't here and got angry? She didn't know if she could handle the combined power of the demon spirit, and the demon in front of her.

She glanced around briefly for her bow and arrows, only to find them lying next to a tree about 15 feet away. "Fat lot of good that does me," she muttered, then questioned why she hadn't taken up on Kaede's offer for formal training. A shock to his system could be all he needs to pull him out of the spell.

"Sesshoumaru," she spoke louder this time, with more assurance. A reminder as to who he really was.

The demon didn't blink.

"It's me, Kagome," she tried again, hoping the mention of her name would get through to him. "You know, miko, wench, girl, etc."

Still no recognition.

She laughed nervously. "You can call me bitch all you want if you snap out of this. Even Inuyasha doesn't get away with calling me that."

She saw his eyes widen imperceptibly and his nostrils flare slightly at the mention of Inuyasha. She decided to play that card for the time being.

"You know Inuyasha, your most hated brother, the bastard son of your father," she inwardly asked Inuyasha to forgive her for saying these things, especially if he came back and overheard it all.

"That's right," she continued. "The bastard son of your father who had the sword you wanted bequeathed to him. Your beloved sword being used by nothing more than a simple half-breed."

She could see the battle warring within his eyes, red, gold and green clashing with each other as the will of the two demons fought for dominance. 'Come on Sesshoumaru, you're stronger than Shion' she cheered in her head. She couldn't voice anything out loud yet, she didn't want Shion to win.

She glanced around to see that Inuyasha still had yet to return and figured that he had probably stopped hunting and was having a visit with Kikyou. She couldn't dwell on that at the moment. There were much more pressing things to deal with right now, including the incredibly hard body which had decided to press itself right against her. Despite everything, it made her want to moan and press back. It didn't take much to feel the heat of him against her thin, cotton pajamas.

'Damn,' she began to chew on her lower lip in an effort to keep silent. Maybe he'd stop if he saw she wasn't a willing participant. After all, being a demon of honour he wouldn't force himself on the one he loved, would he? She didn't think so based on the dream she had earlier. Shion had left Mokuren alone, knowing the time wasn't right and she wasn't ready for him.

But damn was he good with the way he was slowly licking up her neck. How she was able to resist it, she didn't know, she was just thankful that she could.

She thought it was all over when he wrapped his arms around her. Despite her love for Inuyasha, she could feel her body betraying her already. 'Oh God,' she shut her eyes, praying to whatever kami above that Sesshoumaru wouldn't go any further, and stopped when she felt him stop his ministrations.

'What?' she opened one eye slightly, nervous about what she'd see when she looked up into a pair of gold eyes.

"Oh thank god," she said as she stepped back from him. "Sesshoumaru?"

He nodded, acknowledging the question she didn't need to ask.

"What happened?" she watched him step aside to see Miroku standing behind the youkai lord, pulling a sutra off his back.

"My apologies, Lord Sesshoumaru." Miroku bowed as he threw the sutra into the waning fire. "I woke up to see you out of it and did the only thing I could think of to bring you back. It was a very mild sutra, just enough to shock your system," he explained.

The taiyoukai nodded before taking a seat next to the fire. It took much willpower not to kill the monk for his impertinence, but he had to admit that his actions had merit. It disturbed him deeply to note how far gone he was. He hated to admit it as well, but Shion had power that matched his, if not surpassed it. It was a humbling thought, and not one he ever wanted to think about again.

Besides, the truce might be called off if he killed the monk.

"Miko, come, we must talk," he stood up and moved gracefully to the edge of the woods. What he had to say, he didn't want to say in front of the others, lest his brother catch wind of it. He didn't bother to look behind him to see if the priestess was following. He knew she was.

Kagome sat on the edge of a rock on the side of a pond. The water was cool and helped to refresh her as she dangled her feet in it. Her companion sat a few feet away, silent for the time being. She knew he had a lot on his mind and didn't push the issue.

But that didn't mean she was comfortable with the silence either.

It was awkward given the position they were found in only moments ago.

"We can't be separated," he finally spoke.

"I know," she agreed. It didn't take much for her to realize that it was the separation that drove Shion to the surface. "Where were you if I might as?"

"Rin."

"Ah. So what now? You need to periodically check up on Rin. Although I know you have Jaken taking care of her, I wouldn't trust that toadthing for too long. We're still searching for jewel shards, and then there's Inuyasha, who will allow hell to freeze over before he ever allows me to go off with you on my own."

He smirked. "Inuyasha's opinion does not matter. There are ways both you and I can put him in his place. The fact of the matter is this spirit will not allow us to maintain any sort of separation. I also fear that I am not strong enough to stop it."

"That took a lot out of you, didn't it?" Kagome asked. "Admitting such a weakness."

"It's not a weakness to admit a problem," Sesshoumaru defended. "However, it worries me how easily he can come to the surface, no matter how hard I try to suppress him. He was a great taiyoukai and as such he had great power. It would make sense for this power to follow him into the spiritual realm."

"I had a dream about them earlier," she confided. "While you were gone, I dreamt about the first time Shion approached Mokuren openly. Their feelings toward each other were strong then."

"What did they say?" he asked.

"Not much of anything. Shion admitted he had been watching Mokuren for some time. It was actually very touching and very sweet, and it makes me understand why these two keep trying to come back to each other."

"Hn," his disinterest for touching and sweet was evident.

"Seriously. I'd like to learn more about the two of them, but I don't know where to look. I decided tonight to send Inuyasha home to my family and give them a letter. They may be able to find something there that could be helpful to us and he could bring it back."

"We'll be leaving at first light to see Bokuseno."

"Bokuseno?"

Sesshoumaru sighed at having to explain things. In the course of a few days he had to explain more, justify more and reveal more to this girl than he had to anybody in all his life. Unfortunately for him, the situation called for it, and as proud as he was, he was smart enough to know when he would need help, and who he could trust.

"Shion and Mokuren were before our time, and more than likely before the time men and demons alike started writing words on paper. It would be a story that would have been passed through time by word of mouth. If anybody were to hear this story, it would be him."

"Makes sense then to exercise all options."

"Leave the Monk and the slayer. They don't need to come on this journey."

She lifted her legs from the water and tucked them closer to her body. "Why? They could be a big help."

"They will be more of a hindrance. There are other avenues to search as well. Your monk has access to centuries of lore simply by being a monk, a scholar. He can walk to any temple and make use of their resources. This one temple may have not held any information, but that's not to say others won't. If we can find the lineage either the priestess or the demon come from, they may be able to trace ancestors and find out what happened."

"Long shot," she decided.

"True, but worth a try. Anything to free myself at the moment." He waved his hand as he dismissed her thought.

"Okay then," she continued to dangle her legs. "I guess we'll go see Bokuseno tomorrow. We'll leave once I send Inuyasha on his way, it'll be easier."

He nodded, not wanting a confrontation with the hanyou. He would sorely test his patience with this truce.

The silence overtook them once more as they both sat contemplating the days to come. The spirits were becoming more anxious day by day, fighting harder to free themselves. It was exhausting, mentally and physically to fight them each day.

"Sesshoumaru?" she broke the silence once more.

He didn't answer, but then he didn't need to either. She could feel his eyes on her as she found a way to ask her question. "What happens if for some reason we're stuck with the spirits?"

"Nonsense," he snorted.

"Hey! It could happen. It could be there's finally something stronger than you!"

He sent her a sidelong glance, his eyes narrowed in frustration. "I refuse to believe that we will be defeated by a couple of ancient spirits."

"All right," she nodded in acceptance. She knew he was a demon who wouldn't give up when he was determined to see something through. They would fight, they would win. She didn't know how she knew this, but she just did.

She turned to return to her sleeping bag, but before leaving their small clearing, she stopped to look at the sky. The sight nearly took his breath away and his eyes widened slightly as another image flew through his mind.

_Standing alone by the riverbank, he watched her across the way as she finished up her bath. She sat upon a rock, tying her hair back so it wouldn't be in the way. He couldn't help but think that it should be left down, left to blow freely in the breeze. Most youkai he knew wanted to tame their mates. He wanted to set her free._

_And his breath caught in his throat as he saw her stop what she was doing to stare up into the sky, the moonlight shining down upon her._

_Radiance…_

To set her free, he mused as he watched the miko take a quick look up into the sky. Radiance.

Her black hair blowing freely through the breeze, the moonlight shining down upon her, making her eyes shine seemingly brighter in the night.

Radiant…

He scowled and immediately stopped that train of thought. The miko was human. That alone should put a stop to his fantasies. He blamed the spirit for making him weak enough to look upon another human as desirable.

But still, he couldn't keep the image from flooding his mind as he watched her walk back to camp for the night.

AN – Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews. For those who were reading my Christmas fic back at Christmas, the one that was supposed to be done at Christmas…yeah, well it's finally complete. It's Christmas in July, what can I say.

This chapter has been giving me hell. But it's written, and I figure I better post it before I decide to delete it. There will probably be some editing of it throughout, but I'll let you know when that happens.

Happy reading.

Disclaimer: See Chapter one, it's all in there.


	11. The Creature from the Black Lagoon'

Wouldn't it be nice, she thought, to be at home this minute taking a relaxing bath, or eating some of her mother's home cooked food, or even sleeping in her own bed, enjoying the comforts she once took for granted.

But no, she was trudging through ankle deep mud at the moment because lord stick up his ass was too good to offer her assistance. Nor was he slowing down, which had led to her tripping over her own feet and landing face first in said mud.

And when she did fall face first into the mud, Sesshoumaru would look upon her with disdain for having the gall to slow them down just a smidge. It was hard to believe that he was inhabited with a spirit that loved the spirit within her. He certainly didn't act like it, she fumed.

Her shoes were ruined, she'd be lucky if she could turn her socks white again, and her shirt and jeans were caked to her skin. She could feel the mud drying in her hair, and as much as she tried to wipe her face clean, it only got worse as they went on.

"Hey, Sesshoumaru," she called out, finally frustrated with it all. "I need a hot spring. I refuse to meet Bokuseno looking like the creature from the black lagoon."

She watched the confusion flit across his eyes briefly before he smirked. "I must admit you look like you could use a bath. You are certainly not presentable in this current condition."

Her eyes widened. Whether his comment was said in all seriousness, or as a joke, she didn't know. But she didn't appreciate it either.

"Listen here, if you had told me we would be walking through mud, I'd have put on my rubber boots. If you had slowed down like I asked, instead of sneering, I wouldn't be covered head to toe in mud." She snuck a quick look at him. "Inuyasha would never drag me through mud. He'd either find a way around or carry me on his back.

She watched his eyes narrow in response and she figured it was time to back peddle a bit before she was killed prematurely. "I know, I know, you don't carry lowly humans, especially this lowly human. Fact of the matter is this could have been avoided. We could get there a lot faster, and a lot cleaner if you had found an alternative route other than through a swamp bog. I need a bath." She listened to her stomach gurgle a bit. "And something to eat," she added.

"Hn."

She nearly screamed in frustrated until she noticed him scenting something in the air, before motioning her to follow him. She was going to get her bath! She nearly jumped with joy, and would have if she didn't know it would send her face first back into the mud.

She was having trouble believing she willingly left Inuyasha this morning for this. She wondered what he was thinking right now. She was sure by now he had returned to camp to realize she wasn't there, and that she had left hours before with his half-brother. No, he wouldn't be pleased one bit and Sango and Miroku probably had their hands full keeping him from following them.

Hopefully her mother and Souta would know where to look for information home.

"What strange material this is," Miroku looked at the papers Inuyasha had brought back with him. They looked like pages out of Kagome's books, all neatly written with uniform letters. But they were loose, not bound like her books.

"Souta printed them off the internet," the hanyou explained.

"The Internet?" Sango asked.

"Yeah, he uses this machine and it connects to something called the Internet. Apparently you can find anything you want on this thing on any subject. I've seen Kagome use it a few times, but she says she uses it mostly for something called e-mail," he wrinkled his nose. "I don't know what that is."

"Absolutely remarkable," Miroku murmured. "Imagine having all that knowledge at your fingertips. If a young boy like Kagome's brother can access it all, imagine what a scholar can do with it."

"Yeah, well, the thing doesn't make sense to me, but he said he 'googled' the names Mokuren, Shion and how to expel spirits. He said he didn't find much on the two names other than the legend, which we already have information on, but the bulk of these papers are on expelling spirits."

Miroku lifted the first sheet. "Exorcism. Must be the name for it during her time. 'A spirit can be easily channeled by a spiritually sensitive person'. I can see Kagome being a sensitive person, she's certainly spiritually sensitive seeing as she has holy powers."

Inuyasha snorted. "Sesshoumaru is nothing of the kind. He believes in power, namely his own. He could care less about spirits, or the power of others."

"So," Sango interpreted. "It explains why Mokuren was able to penetrate through Kagome's defences. We have yet to figure out how Shion was able to get through to Sesshoumaru."

"I think this is just one theory. It could be true, or it could be false."

"What does it say to expel the demons?" Shippo asked.

"Several different things. A protection circle with a strong belief in the good. Surrounding the person with a litany of items depicting an Arch Angel Michael, with a sword. I don't know who this archangel is. It sounds like something that comes from the mainland. There are a lot of different chants written on some of the pages. None of them make sense to me though so I don't know how effective they would be."

Sango reached for one of the papers. "Scatter salt around the body to dispel the spirit."

"Yeah, Souta had read that one and sent me with a whole bag of the stuff. He said it was harmless and didn't think it would hurt to spread it around Kagome one night while she sleeps."

Inuyasha looked around. "Speaking of Kagome, I thought she'd be back from the hot spring by now."

The three of them suddenly became very nervous. "Well, to tell you the truth, Kagome is off searching for answers on her own. She knows somebody here who may be able to help."

Inuyasha scented the air again. "I'd ask you why she left alone, but I can see she left with that bastard." He could feel the rage build up in him, and if he was honest, fear as well. "Why would you let her go off alone with him? He's dangerous."

He jumped up and motioned the others to follow him, but he didn't get very far before Miroku bopped him on the head with his staff. "She knows what she's doing, and the spirit inside Sesshoumaru won't let him hurt the host of Mokuren. I can feel that. She asked that we continue on our own way to speak to people, priests and priestesses, scholars, and the likes. There have to be some elders of villages who may know the legend or how to deal with it. They'll meet up with us at some point along our travels. Until then, we have to trust her to keep herself safe. She won't do anything rash."

They could see the hanyou struggling over the decision. They knew it wouldn't be an easy one. To go after her would imply a lack of trust, but his instincts were calling to him to pull her away from possible danger.

"Inuyasha, Kagome would not be happy if you didn't support her in this," Sango placed a hand on his shoulder, partly to give him support, but to also show that she firmly believed Kagome would be okay.

"Fine," he growled out. "Let's head north. The dragon was marked with seal of the Northern Lord. Maybe they know something about the mirror."

Sesshoumaru sat from afar, not so much watching the miko as she bathed, but keeping an eye on her nonetheless. He couldn't explain why he wanted her safe, but something inside him told him to do so.

Shion.

It had to be the spirit. Slowly he was making his way into his mind, and the harder he resisted, the harder the spirit fought. He had no desire for the miko to come to harm, but experience had told him that she was more than strong enough to take care of herself.

She had to be in order to stand up to him. He couldn't help but feel admiration for the women as she berated him earlier in the day, looking like a bedraggled waif who was dragged through the mud several times, which only served to humour him more as it was quite true. Anybody else would have had their heads lopped off, or been forced to taste his poison for yelling at him the way she did.

But the most she did was manage to inflame his curiousity. And caused the spirit in him to stir, which is probably why he conceded to her demand rather than push on like he had originally intended. He was restless, trying to suppress whatever was in him. It took all his efforts not to join her in the hot spring, knowing he would pay dearly if he tried.

But most curious of all was he just wanted to sit on a rock on the shore and just talk with her. The chat the night before had a strange, calming effect on him. He had managed to make it through the rest of the night in a dreamless state, which at this point of time was most welcome. He didn't want to think of Shion, or Mokuren, or the miko. He wanted to just be.

And hopefully one day soon he'd rid himself of his unwelcome guest and be able to return to hunting Naraku and exacting retribution.

He listened to the squeal of delight coming from his new traveling companion, and once again he fought to keep Shion at bay. And, in a moment of despair, he realized he was starting to fight to keep himself at bay.

One day.

AN

Yes, this chapter is a little shorter than usual. But that's because I wanted the next part to be separate from this

Blatant self-promotion because I'm very proud of this series. I've got a kag/sess vignette series going. They're all individual, stand-alone vignettes that are connected to each other. It's called In Celestial Harmony. You can find it in my profile.

Disclaimer: Inu and company do not belong to me, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi. The Creature from the Black Lagoon doesn't belong to me, it belongs to Universal Studios.


	12. Rainy Days

Warning: There is implied non-con sex in this chapter. There is no detail, I refuse to detail anything like that, but please keep in mind that this is the way life was long, long ago where women had no rights but to submit to the will of the men.

_It had been seven sun-ups of rain, and it didn't appear to be lightening up any. Demons and humans alike were miserable. The animals didn't make it a habit to forage for food as often, or if they did, they didn't remain out for long. A fire couldn't be kept, unless it was kept in a shelter, and even then, it didn't last for very long. _

_The young ones were becoming antsy at being kept indoors, and the women were kept in bed by the men as there wasn't much else to do. Mokuren sighed. Nine moon cycles down the road she'd be a very busy woman delivering babies everywhere. The tribe was sure to nearly double in population very soon, and she was feeling stretched very thin as it was._

_And if it wasn't babies she'd have to deal with, it was the sickness that came with spending too much time in the rain. She herself was not allowed to stay out of it, she was expected to traipse through it, visiting each shelter to make sure nobody had caught any sickness, and if they had, she would need to treat it. There were only so many herbs she kept in her own shelter._

_She watched from the doorway of her own shelter as one of the tribesman grabbed a young girl who had just reached of mating age two moons ago, and dragged her inside the shelter he shared with his brothers. She knew he had no intention of keeping her, but she could only hope he would do the honourable thing if the girl were to carry. For now though, she was just somebody to pass the time with until the rains let up, and Mokuren knew the men would not be gentle with her despite it being her first time._

_She could only feel thankful that her holy powers protected her from the men of her village, and left her hut empty. To lose her virtue would mean to lose her holy powers, to lose the ability to heal and help those who needed it, or to lose the ability to send the departed into the afterlife properly, or pray for a good hunt. Food meant too much to her people for them to risk losing her to the pleasures of the flesh._

_She sent a silent prayer above once again, asking that the rains stop soon so that her people may continue on with their normal day to day lives, so that women like that young girl would not be forced to submit to men just because they were stronger than her and just because they had nothing better to do. _

"_Mokuren-sama." She looked up when she saw a young child, no older than 48 moon cycles come running across the way toward her. "Mama, she needs your help."_

"_All right Akina-chan. I'll be right with you." She turned into her shelter and grabbed her bag of herbs, and two flat rocks. "Tell me what's wrong with your mama." She grabbed an extra cloak of fur and wrapped it around herself, covering her head so she wouldn't get soaked through._

"_Some of the wood from our fire popped while Mama was cooking a stew for Papa and it burned her face. She says she can't see."_

_Mokuren grimaced, she knew this didn't sound good, and it didn't look good when she entered the shelter to see Akira-san holding his mate while she cried into him. Four of their young children watched closely. She turned to the eldest of them. "Rei-chan, please take your brother and sisters to my shelter for the time being. I will have you return when I am finished with your mama. You'll be safe there."_

_She turned to Akira and asked him to gently lay his mate on the ground so that she could examine her face. The skin near her eyes were bright red and extremely swollen. "Mei-chan," she addressed the woman who was once her childhood friend. "I need you to open your eyes for me."_

_The distressed woman tried to do so only to scream in agony at the slightest movement. Mokuren opened her herb bag and pulled out one of the plants, and her two flat rocks. "Akira-san, I will need a bowl of clean water from the spring in the woods."_

_Mei's mate left without question and she ground the herb until it became a powder, then grabbed a strip of soft leather from the hem of her skirt, and sliced it with the sharpened bone Akira had left behind. How often did she have to sacrifice her creature comforts for the well being of others?_

_When Akira had returned with the water she had poured some it into another bowl with the powder, turning it to a paste, before applying it to Mei's eyes. With the last of the water, she dipped the leather into it before tying it around Mei's eyes to keep the paste close and the light out. "I don't know if her sight will come back," she informed Akira. "I will pray for her, but it is the will of the gods as to whether she'll see again or not." She pulled the last of the herb she needed out of her bag. "Ground this up and turn it into a tea if the pain becomes too much. It will soothe her. I will be by during sun up and sun down to change the herbs on her eyes."_

_She left the shelter and returned to hers, sending the children back to their parents before checking her herb stock. She wanted to get prepared and ground some more in preparation, only to see that she had given the last leaf to Mei. She sighed once again, looking out at the rain, knowing that she would have to go and search for more if she wanted Mei to heal. Grabbing her herb pouch and her extra cloak, she left the safety of her shelter and out into the pouring rain._

_He had seen her leave the hut of course. He watched her nearly every moment he could, despite the rain, despite the cold, despite the heat. Land and border issues were resolved, he was here, keeping an eye on her, knowing that his initial fascination had gone far beyond that. She was an obsession. More than that. She called out to the beast within him. Nobody had ever done that before, and she did it on a daily basis unknowingly._

_He knew where she was heading too, the empty leather sack in her hand a dead give away. She went in search of herbs and there was only one place nearby that would give her what she needed. He moved swiftly and quietly through the woods, ahead of her clearing the path of any dangers that may lurk nearby._

_And as he arrived at his destination, he knew he had a choice. He could hide in the nearby brush, as he usually did, or for a change, he would wait out in the open for her to arrive, and speak with her once more. The desire to hear her voice directed solely at him won out over common sense. He knew it would be better, safer for all if he stayed out of her way, but he wanted to speak with her again, he NEEDED to speak with her again._

_And so he waited._

_Sitting patiently on a rock near the western edge of the field._

_The rain fell and soaked him through, but he didn't feel the chill of it. He could only think of her. And her generous heart, which was the reason for her trek to begin with._

_And suddenly he could feel her as she reached the edge of the clearing, her aura floating around him in a warm caress._

"_Shion-sama," she gasped, and stood still as the rain poured down around her. The effects of hearing her speak his name was something indescribable. _

"_Mokuren-sama," he nodded his head, the closest to a bow he would give anybody. She was certainly worthy of it. _

"_Please forgive me for intruding, Shion-sama, I only need a few herbs then I will be out of your way." She moved into the clearing and knelt in a patch of yellow and orange flowers. "I'll only pick what I need."_

"_So polite," he murmured, and watched as she picked the flowers. "What do you need the yellow flowers for?"_

"_For treating a burn, my lord. The leaves can be turned into a paste and placed on top of the burn. It helps it heal faster and reduces the chance of the burn damaging the skin permanently."_

_Shion scowled. "There is no need for formalities between us, Mokuren. You may call me Shion."_

_She gasped in mortification. "But you are a great taiyoukai. To speak to you so informally would only show disrespect."_

_This time he chuckled. "It is only disrespectful to treat me so informally without permission. You have it. What happened to the young girl I rescued a several moon cycles back who didn't worry about disrespect while speaking with me."_

_She looked at him, almost perplexed. "You remember that? I would have thought it would beneath your notice to remember such a thing."_

_This time he frowned. He stood from his rock and moved to kneel next to her, bringing her face to face with him. He was pleased with the slight flush to her face. "You are not beneath my notice. I remember all of our encounters."_

"_But we've only had the one encounter."_

"_No, Mokuren, we've had several. You just didn't know it." He smiled this time and enjoyed the peaceful silence as they picked the yellow flowers she needed together. He could feel her tenseness though, and it disturbed him. He wanted her to be relaxed in his presence, as it would be one of the few times she would be relaxed. He scented the air before getting up. "Come, there is a storm moving in very quickly. We can take shelter in a nearby cave." He held his hand out to her and hoped beyond hope that she would trust him and take him._

"_Are you sure?" she asked nervously as she stared at his outstretched hand. _

"_I can feel the charged energy in the air. The rain will increase in a matter of moments. If you come with me, you will not have to worry about being called out in the middle of it to help somebody. You can be yourself for just a little while, a reprieve."_

_He knew she was thinking of the restlessness in the village. "Your people will be fine without you for a few minutes. It wouldn't do them harm to think for themselves for a change rather than depend on you all the time," he added, trying to bite back the anger he was feeling at their attitude._

"_Well, some time to myself wouldn't hurt, I guess," she smiled tentatively at him. "I do try and take some time for myself when I come out here if it's at all possible." _

_And he felt right for the first time in his life when she placed her hand in his own._

_As swiftly as he could, he moved them to a small cave, just barely large enough for the two of them. He found some dry leaves pushed to the back, as well as some sticks and built a small pit. _

"_How do you plan to light a fire without fire rocks?" Mokuren asked. _

_He just smiled and held his hand over the small pile. "Watch."_

_He watched amazement flash across her face as he shot green fire out of his hands, one of his more elaborate youkai defences. "Now, we dry off and warm up." He slipped her cloak off her shoulders and lifted her braid in his hand. He always preferred it down, and with the ease of a man comfortable with the female sex, he undid the ties and let if fly loose. He relished in the feel of it and knew if this was the only time he could run his fingers through her hair, he'd die a happy man._

_He slipped off his pelt and wrapped it around her instead, for reasons other than it would keep her warm. He wouldn't share his reasons with her though._

"_So soft," she murmured as she stroked it. "What is it?"_

"_It's a mokomoko-sama," he answered as he ran his hands over it. "It has various uses, to keep warm, it can be used in battle, but for the most part, it is a part of myself. All higher youkai have the ability to transform between a humanoid form and an animal state. This piece of fluff becomes part of my back when I transform into the great dog."_

"_Really? A dog?"_

"_A great dog," he repeated, smiling. "A very large, black dog. Taller than some of the tallest trees."_

"_Wow," she snuggled into it further, and he could tell she was enjoying its warmth. "I didn't realize youkai could transform like that. Any that we have come across have either been one, or the other."_

"_Not all youkai can transform. Those of us with power can, although it's very taxing on our energy reserves to do so. We don't transform whenever we want, although we could. For the most part it only occurs in a fierce battle. I've only had to transform three times in my lifetime."_

"_So chances of me ever seeing your great dog aren't very good," she mused._

_He smiled. "They're better than you think. All you have to do is ask. One day I'll show you."_

"_You would use up much of your energy to show me your dog?" she asked in wonder. _

"_Yeah, there are many things I would show you if you asked me to." They sat in silence as they watched the light streak across the sky, before hearing the thunder echo throughout the valley._

"_The lightening always seems to calm me," she confessed to him. While he knew this from his observations, her telling him so meant something to him. "As hectic as life is, and it can be pretty hectic, this is one thing that never changes. There's an element of danger to them, and they're powerful. But because people fear it, I get a reprieve and just calms me to watch it, to know that I have at least a few minutes to myself." She shuddered a moment and he took the opportunity to wrap his mokomoko-sama around her better. "I don't like the winds, sometimes I feel as if my shelter will collapse any minute, or falling ice as it invariably means I have to do construction on my hut, but everything else just brings me peace."_

_He frowned a moment and asked the question that had been bugging him ever since he found her working on her shelter alone so many moon cycles ago. "Why don't the men in your tribe repair your hut for you?"_

"_They're too busy looking after their own, and then replenishing any food we may have lost. It doesn't matter though, I've become quite good at repairing a shelter, or building a new one. Sometimes it may take days depending on where I'm needed and the urgency of what I'm needed for."_

_He could detect a note of sadness and despair in her voice. Having watched her for the majority of her life, he knew she didn't like being a priestess. Nobody did._

"_Why do you stay? You could easily leave your tribe, go somewhere else where nobody knows you, you could start a life of your own."_

_Her smile was a sad one. "It is an honour to serve my people."_

"_You don't believe that," he countered._

"_No, I don't, although I'd like to."_

_He ran his claws through her hair, relishing in the feel of it once again. It would be something he would never forget, and never take for granted. "Then what do you believe?"_

_She sighed. "That I was chosen for something far greater than being a mother, a mate. Although there's nothing more I want in this world than to be that, destiny had other ideas. There are benefits to being a priestess."_

"_Such as?" he asked, continuing to stroke her hair._

"_Such as safety within the tribe. Nobody dares to harm me as they fear the wrath of the gods. They provide for me, I am often bestowed with gifts of new furs, and while I don't need them, it is nice to have them during the cold. I give a lot of them away to the young children during the cold, those who have parents who can't provide for them as well as other families provide for their young. And I get to sit with the young quite often to tell stories."_

"_That's the part you like best," he guessed._

"_Yes, that's the part that I like best."_

"_You could have your own, you know." He lifted the mokomoko-sama from around her shoulders as the rain let up to a light drizzle, and handed her a cloak._

"_No, that's one thing I can never have. To be a priestess, I must remain. And if for any reason I become unpure, my life is forfeit to the will of the people."_

_Shion held in his growl as he led her from the cage. He was never one to hate humans, but he was starting to._

_She looked up at him with wide eyes, and he couldn't help but feel like he was getting sucked into them, and his growl was forgotten. "Thank you for listening." She reached for his hand and held it in hers for a brief moment. "I hope we get to sit and talk again."_

_He watched as she walked back to the tribe, her head held high and her sack full of yellow flowers.  
_

"_This is only the beginning," he murmured, despite knowing she was too far away to hear._

AN

I figured it was about time to have another chapter dedicated solely to Mokuren and Shion. Other than the first chapter, they've had bits and pieces throughout, but it's been a while since we've had something just for them.

So I promised this for tomorrow, but seeing as timing is going to be extremely tight for me tomorrow and writing is going so well right now that I thought I'd post it tonight.

I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: See chapter one


	13. Memories

Kagome woke in a sweat and quickly glanced toward her new traveling companion. Her hands were trembling at the thought of what she has just dreamt.

Looking at Sesshoumaru though proved to be another surprise. Gone was the stoic demon lord who didn't let a thing get under his skin. Instead there sat a demon was sweaty, clammy, shaky and downright shaken up. She could see it in his eyes, which were glancing wildly about their camp, as if reassuring himself that he was here, and not stuck in his dreamscape.

"You saw it too," she told him. She didn't need an answer, she just knew as the dream was too powerful for her to have just seen it herself. She smiled a bit though, thankful that she didn't have to deal with this on her own. "You can relax too, I won't tell anybody you were disturbed by this. If anybody asks, you were the epitome of calm throughout the whole ordeal."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he finally said once he was composed.

"Sure you do, you just don't want to admit it as it'll ruin your image. But it'll ruin your image only if you let it. I have no intentions of telling anybody how I'm affected by these dreams, so I have no desire to tell anybody how affected you were." She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. The dream still left a chill in her, even though it was full of warmth.

"They weren't dreams," he said as he broke the silence. "They were memories. Too powerful to be dreams, much too detailed."

"I agree with you about that. As active an imagination as I have, there's no way I'd have been able to come up with something like that and not have holes in it."

She looked to the east and noticed the sun cresting over the horizon. They had decided to spend the night at the hot spring as she refused to go trekking through mud again. He was actually pretty good about acquiescing to her request. But then she knew, while he would never admit it, that this whole situation had been leaving him feeling drained as well. It was one thing to fight another being, but to fight another being who is inside of you, and who is just as strong as you, well she couldn't imagine what his energy reserves were like by the end of the day.

"We could probably get an early start today. I have no desire to go back to sleep." She unzipped her sleeping bag before stepping out of it. "I can prepare a small breakfast, then it's probably best that we move on. How much longer until we get to Bokuseno?"

He glanced at her quickly before looking at the trees ahead of him. "We should be there around mid-day."

She smiled at him this time. "You know, you should stop fighting against Shion so hard. He's not a bad guy, er, demon. And it might be easier if you just accept him for the time being. I've done the same with Mokuren, and she appears to be lying dormant. Probably just waiting for something, but she's no longer fighting against me."

"It isn't her nature to fight," he replied knowingly.

"No, it isn't. But then everybody fights for something they truly want, and if she wants Shion, she could be a hell of a lot more aggressive than she is." She felt a warmth in her grow, and she didn't know if was the spirit simply agreeing with her, or it was her own admiration growing for the spirit.

As she went about preparing a quick breakfast, reheating some of the rabbit she caught last eve, she realized it was becoming increasingly difficult to separate her own feelings from that of Mokuren's.

She was softer toward Sesshoumaru. While in the beginning she had wanted to give him a chance because she knew she needed his help, now, well she couldn't describe what she thought of him. She was confused.

He tried to melt her with poison once.

He had sent many sneers her way.

Yet the other night they were able to sit down and have a civilized conversation, and yesterday he found a hot spring when she asked him too. Well, not so much asked, but demanded, she admitted to herself. But still, Sesshoumaru didn't do anything he didn't want to do.

She offered a plate of meat to him, before starting her on her own. That was the other thing that was confusing her. He was eating her food, willingly, when Inuyasha had told him Sesshoumaru wouldn't eat any food a human prepared. He didn't balk once when she offered him a plate yesterday, didn't say a word either, but he could have turned it away, or sniffed it first to make sure it was edible.

There was one difference between the two brothers already. She blushed slightly as she realized she was comparing the two of them. It was like comparing apples and oranges, but she couldn't help herself. This was also probably the first time she had thought of Inuyasha since they began this journey solo. Sure, she brought it up to him yesterday, but that was just a case of shooting her mouth off without realizing what she was saying. She didn't actually think of him per say.

What was going on?

Was this all her own thinking or was Mokuren interfering with her thoughts now?

"I'm going to change and freshen up before we leave," she whispered as she stood and grabbed her backpack.

She needed to figure things out and soon.

More importantly, she needed to talk to this Bokuseno and soon.

Sesshoumaru watched Kagome leave for the hot spring, but didn't say a word as he sat mulling over the dream/memory. It was too real for comfort, the feelings and emotions it evoked. He had spent years suppressing the same emotions, knowing it was these emotions that had lead to the death of his father.

But in the past week, not only have they started to surface again, but they were rising with full force, knocking his own breath away. The girl should never have seen him the way she did this morning. He should have known enough to leave the scene immediately after he awoke. But he couldn't move, couldn't think, he was lucky he was able to breath.

Shion would have given the world to her.

He felt that, He felt every emotion Shion had felt throughout the dream.

Admiration.

Frustration.

Surprise.

Curiousity.

Peacefulness.

Acceptance.

Love.

The last one he nearly didn't recognize as it wasn't something he had felt before. He had heard of others speaking about it, but never understood the enormity of it until he felt it for himself. And he was pretty sure that was what it was as it was too strong to be anything else. Certainly Shion cared for the young girl, but it wasn't in the same way he cares for Rin. There was much more heart to it, for lack of a better way to describe it.

The food Kagome had handed him tasted bland on his tongue as he continued to think things through, dissect them. He himself had never been able to transform to his dog form at will. During battle, yes, when he was angry, yes, but he didn't have enough control to do it as he wished.

It spoke volumes as to the strength of the demon spirit within him. And the fact that he would use that energy willingly to impress the girl, well he didn't want to go there. It actually humbled him, something he wasn't used to.

It also pushed him to work harder. If this demon spirit could do it, why couldn't he? In that moment he vowed to become stronger than the spirit. Sometime soon, he would develop the strength and discipline to willingly transform without being angry, or in battle.

Truth be told though, at this moment he wanted nothing more than to go to the spring himself and wash up, clear his head for a few minutes so he could continue on the journey rationally. He would be better than this father.

He would not become like his half-brother.

He would not let things like emotions get in the way of his objectives.

He smothered the fire the miko had built to prepare their breakfast and scattered the remains. She had already packed the leftover food, not that it mattered to him as there was plenty of game if they got hungry again.

It was strange though. He rarely ate food prepared by humans, but he found he couldn't say no to her last night when she looked at him with wide, brown eyes offering a plate to him. This surely was the influence of the demon spirit.

And even more surprising was the fact that he found it palatable.

"All right, I'm ready whenever you are." Kagome's voice interrupted his thoughts and he glanced her way as she walked back into the clearing. He felt as if the breath had been knocked out of him.

Yes, definitely the influence of the Shion.

But there she stood in wearing practically nothing in his opinion, although he knew it was the standard wear in her time.

"Shorts," she explained. "Shorter version of pants. They allow me to move just as easily, but if we're trekking through mud again, they won't get dirty. Rubber boots," she pointed to the pink boots on her feet. "They'll keep my feet dry."

It was her hair though that set him on edge. Of everything she could do to it to tie it back, she had to pick a braid.

"What games are you playing at miko?" he questioned with a growl.

"What?" she asked, confused. He gestured to her hair, and watched as she lifted a hand to it. Her cheeks flushed slightly in realization, and he couldn't help but feel that she made quite the picture. "Oh, I didn't even realize," her hands started to shake as he pulled the tie out of her hair and loosened it. "I swear, I didn't even know I braided it. I don't think when I go to pull my hair back, my hands just act of their own accord."

He felt the sudden urge to run his fingers through it as fell past her shoulder in loose waves. He resisted it and nodded in satisfaction as she pulled it back into a messy bun. "I just wanted it out of my face," she explained.

He stood there and just stared at her for a moment, taking her in. The demon spirit was driving him crazy, making him think things he would normally never let cross his mind.

"Sesshoumaru? How much of an influence do you think the souls are having upon us?"

That was the question indeed. He had no idea, but he knew the thoughts weren't his. He would never dare to think such things. But he didn't answer her. "Come, the sooner we find Bokuseno, the sooner we can get the answers we need."

"And if he doesn't know the answers, what then?" she asked.

He couldn't answer that. Truth was, he wouldn't know what to do if Bokuseno couldn't help.

"We're screwed then, aren't we." It was more of a statement than a question.

"Screwed?" he asked, confused as to the meaning.

"Yeah, meaning we're in trouble. For all we know these spirits may be biding their time before they us over completely. Maybe that's what they're doing, prepping us by giving us their memories, their feelings, and then one day, BAM!," she clapped her hands together. "We won't know what hit us, we'll be them, and the two of us, well, we'll exist in body, but the rest of us will be gone."

"Don't speak of such nonsense. Grab your bag. We should be there by mid-day."

They continued on in silence, but her questions kept asking themselves over and over in his head. 'What do we do if Bokuseno can't help us?'

"_You are not beneath my notice. I remember all of our encounters."_

"_There are many things I would show you if you asked me to."_

"_This is only the beginning,"_

That was the one thing both he and the spirit agreed on. His instinct was telling him this was only the beginning.

He looked back to make sure his companion wasn't covered in mud again, and nearly grinned at her scowl as they made their way through ankle deep mud. She made quite the picture trudging through wearing pink boots. If he were any other demon, he'd think it was cute.

It was his turn to scowl.

Yes, he needed to speak with Bokuseno, and soon.

AN

Okay, chapter tonight after a fantastic day, and an extremely busy week. Thanks to all of you for your wonderful reviews on the previous chapter. It means a lot to me and certainly inspires me to write more.

Enjoy this one and I'll see you sometime next weekend!

Disclaimer: See chapter one


	14. Bokuseno

A very happy birthday today to Wiccan! While this chapter was written long before I even knew of a birthday, I can still post it in your honour.

Kagome stood there gawking at the old tree talking to Sesshoumaru as if they were old buddies. It was very rare to see the stoic demon lord so open with anybody, but then she figured everybody had to have a confidant. She stood to the side though and tried to remain oblivious to the both of them until they were completed with their greetings and small talk.

Small talk!

She didn't know that Sesshoumaru even understood the concept. But there he was doing just that with the old Mongolian tree.

"I knew Sesshoumaru's father, Kagome," the tree explained to her suddenly. "I am over 2000 years old and I befriended the Inu no Taisho when he was nothing but a pup. It was only natural that I got to see Sesshoumaru grow up as well."

"You mean you got to see him as a pup too?" she giggled.

"That I did, he was—"

"Bokuseno," Sesshoumaru growled, interrupting his musings.

"My apologies, Sesshoumaru. You've come for information."

"If you can provide it. We seek answers."

Bokuseno glanced at Kagome standing off to the side. "Sit girl, make yourself comfortable while we talk."

Kagome found a soft patch of grass and crossed her legs as she sat. Typically out of a sign of respect she would sit on her knees, but something was telling her she might be sitting there for the long haul and should get comfortable.

"How did you know my name before?" she asked. She had meant to ask him earlier, but the thought of Sesshoumaru running around as little pup had distracted her.

"You will be surprised at what I know, but there are several reasons as to how I know you. First and foremost, the sheaths that contain Tessaiga and Tenseiga are a part of myself. I had created them and imbibed them with protective charms, whether it be protection for the fangs, or for the whoever holds the sheath."

She nodded, following along. "I've seen that, I've been forced to use Inuyasha's sheath for protection a few times. It's remarkable."

"Of that I'm quite aware. As the sheathes are a part of me, I am given a sense of who uses them and for what purpose. Everybody who touches the sheath is ingrained in my memory. While I can't necessarily see what you would look like, sound like, or smell like, there is an underlying marker on you that I can feel. Your aura, for example. I can get an imprint of who you are by your aura. It speaks to me, tells me who you are, and when you approached today, I was greeted by the same aura that had introduced itself to me the first time you touched Tessaiga's sheath."

Kagome sat awestruck. "So you're telling me you can tell who touched the sheaths." She watched him nod again. "So, when Jaken had decided to come and steal Inuyasha's sword, you knew it was he trying to do so?"

"I did, I could also determine his intent with the sword," he sent a glance that could almost be described as sly toward Sesshoumaru.

"The toad acted of his own will," Sesshoumaru sat straight-backed in front of the ancient tree. "I will one day possess the sword, but it will be of my own accord, through my strength and my power."

She nearly rolled her eyes at his statement. Time and time again he had vowed to retrieve Tessaiga and it was always just out of his reach. Either that or he just didn't try hard enough. She narrowed her eyes at him. "I've seen you fight before, I mean truly fight, not like the petty squabbles you've had with Inuyasha. How is it you've never been able to take Tessaiga before? You're certainly strong enough to do so."

His eyes remained blank as he brushed her off. "It was merely not the time yet. The Tessaiga will come into my possession when it is deserving of having one such as me use it. Until then Inuyasha can continue to amuse himself with it."

This time she couldn't resist rolling her eyes, and turned back to Bokuseno. "You meantioned other ways you knew me?"

"Yes," the ancient tree continued. "Being rooted to the ground doesn't allow one such as myself much travel, so we must rely on the news of others to keep us up to date. The trees have been stirring about lately with whispers of Naraku and the hunt of the jewel shards. They also speak of an odd group hunting for the shikon jewel as well, a hanyou, a priestess, a monk, a fox and a youkai exterminator. As I know Inuyasha to be the hanyou, I assume you to be the priestess."

She nodded again, confirming his belief.

"As well, I am paid the odd visit by Myoga or Totosai. They both speak very highly of you."

"Bokuseno," Sesshoumaru growled in warning again. "We are deviating from our purpose here."

"My apologies Sesshoumaru. You are looking for answers. However, I do not know the questions."

Kagome thought it best to continue here. If anything could be said about the demon lord, it was that he only spoke when necessary, and typically in nothing more than short sentences. If Bokuseno needed the story, he needed to hear it from somebody who would explain it all. "Have you heard of the legend of Mokuren and Shion?" she asked. "A demon and a priestess from long ago who had their souls trapped in a mirror."

She saw his face lighten in familiarity The legend wasn't as lost as they had thought it would be, she thought with glee. Perhaps they'd be able to expel the souls quickly and return to whatever they were doing before.

She felt a bittersweet pang though at that thought. Over the past few days she had a chance to get to know the demon lord, and the more she saw, the more she liked. He didn't need to speak often to get his point across. He didn't need to be obvious with his emotions to show that he cared. They were there, buried somewhere just below the surface, but there, and he without saying as much, she knew he cared for and was fiercly protective of anything he called his.

But she didn't belong to him so she didn't fall in the category of people he'd be fiercly protective of. Although she was her own woman, if she belonged with anybody in the feudal era, it was with Inuyasha, a stubborn but sweet hanyou with no true place in this world outside of his small group. She couldn't leave him as leaving him meant she'd be dooming him to an existence with nobody around.

The others would leave eventually, Miroku and Sango off to where they're destined to live, and Shippo would travel across the country side, leaving a trail of broken hearts behind him. It was amazing how easily he could charm a girl.

But who knew where she would end up once this was all over as well?

"Tree demons have passed this story down through the years so it wouldn't be forgotten," Bokuseno continue, interrupting her thoughts. "The first ones are long since gone, and so are many of those they passed the legend onto to, but we all make a point of telling somebody and instructing them to pass it on so it won't be forgotten."

"We know the bare minimum regarding that legend," she said. "Their names were Mokuren and Shion, a village priestess and a Taiyoukai, Inu to be exact. They were secret lovers, were killed by men and youkai and their souls trapped for eternity until it could be released."

The tree demon nodded his head. "That is the story in a nutshell, however, there is more to this story, although very few people know it."

"Such as?" she asked as she glanced over at Sesshoumaru. He was the epitome of calm and looked like he didn't have a care in the world. If she were anybody else, she would think he wasn't listening to what they were saying. But whatever connection they shared now, whether it be through their own doing, or that of the spirits', she knew differently. He was hanging onto every word. She was too.

"The time period to begin. It was a time filled with war and strife. Everybody continually moved about and chased the game. This is how the ancient trees knew so much. They saw many people, many youkai grow, live and move on over the years. One year one village would be erected where we are gathered. Two years later it could be another tribe, and another year later, a third tribe. Every tribe moved no, nobody stayed stationary.

"Much like today, there were many tribes, and many tribal leaders. Some tribes worked well together and formed alliances. Others wanted to see certain tribes destroyed, and they would send out some for their most aggressive men to do just that. Search and destroy.

"Was this man or youkai?" she asked, knowing the answer and dreading it.

"Man. Youkai moved around as well, but they mostly kept to themselves. They had their leaders, respected their leaders, and had their own wars, but they stayed away from humans. They found them lacking in many things, far beneath them on any scale, so they didn't pay them any attention. There were some rogue youkai who would hunt humans for sport, as there always will be, and then there were some youkai who wanted complete annihilate the human race so the world would be pure, but then that hasn't changed over the years. It stays much the same."

"That's so sad," she murmured. "All this hate and there's really no reason for it."

"You each have your purpose on this earth," Bokuseno continued with his tale. "However, I don't think either group will learn to live with each for many more years to come."

She thought of her time, the 6 billion people living on Earth,12 million of them in Tokyo, and not once had she felt the presence of another youkai. 'No, we don't learn to live with each other ever,' she thought.

"The first of several human and youkai wars begun about a hundred years before these two, and a lot of the prejudices were carried around. Humans passed the stories to their children, and their grandchildren. Many of the different generations carried the stories of the war with them, many of them knew the prejudices and continued with the hate.

"Youkai didn't need to pass the stories of their hate to their children. They carried the memories inside them, let the hate fester over the years until it was only inevitable that another human-youkai war would emerge. Until such a time though they would prey on lonely humans, devour their flesh if they were so inclined.

"There was such anger and resentment between the two species. Nobody knows what started it, but it was through the loss of their loved ones in the first war that allowed the hatred to grow to unmanageable levels. There was also pride as both races believed they won the first war, and they spent time arguing with each other as to why they won over the other.

"But it was the youkai who exercised control and spent their time ignoring the humans. They didn't like humans, but hunting humans weren't worth their effort."

"There were exceptions to this though," Kagome murmured. "Not all youkai hated humans."

"No," agreed Bokuseno. "Not all demons hated humans, and not all humans hated demons. There were several youkai who had found many things they liked in humans and ended up with human mates. Unfortunately their lives were riddled in tragedy. Any hanyou that were sired were destroyed unless the family went into exile and remained hidden. Any pair that did not have children found it very difficult to exist among either group. Any societal ranking they may have achieved was stripped from them. They were mocked, used as examples of what not to do and given the grunt work all the time.

"A human male mated to a female youkai would find himself constantly fighting with other human males as they ganged up on him. Human females mated to male youkai were considered to be disgraced, ridiculed, often called the most vile of names, and quite often spat upon."

_Monster._

_Whore._

_Demon._

_Filth._

_Tainted._

_Dirty._

"What about society in general?" Kagome asked. "Nevermind mating outside if your species, what was life like?"

The tree demon looked upon her gravely. "Life was not easy even if you stayed within your race. There were no permanent settlements. Youkai moved within their territories, as did humans, both separate from each other. They each worked for their food, hunted what game they could, and picked whatever edible vegetation they could find. They would spend maybe four months maximum in one spot before moving on.

"The difference was in how society was ruled. By experience, youkai were stronger and wiser than most humans, far more advance in terms of skill and knowledge. Today's aristocratic system is the same was it was several millennia ago. There were taiyoukai who traveled the lands, ensuring the safety of his people, settling disputes and making decisions based on the welfare of the youkai under his care. There were several groups of youkai who lived in small packs, much like your human tribes. They each had an alpha male and alpha female who were responsible for continuing the line. Any major decision made by anybody was deferred to them. They chose whether to accept new pack members, or send any current ones into exile.

"While some carried weapons, most did not. They were able to rely on their own natural strengths. Youkai weapons only came along when humans started to invent better weapons to fight them off. The taiyoukai of each of the lands had carried a weapon, a spear made from their fang that could lend them power. It was an easy weapon to use for defense, offense, and easy to transport. Other than that, weapons were rare.

"Humans on the other hand constantly worked to better themselves. One would invent a weapon, within months, somebody else would have something stronger. They were made of base materials, no steel or anything of the likes, but wood, sharpened rock, and the bones of their kill. They created poisons and learned how to dip their weapons into poison to make it more effective. But their fighting did not come naturally to them.

"For the most part they were hunter-gatherers. They lived in their own tribe and their tribe elder ruled as supreme. The elder was chosen based on strength, experience and wisdom, and he was well-respected by all tribes people. Some believed in higher beings, others did not. The consensus though was somebody had created the world, and created everything in it. They provided the food they eat, and the materials they needed to live, and therefore they should pay respect to some higher being. The elder would base his laws around this respect."

"What about priests and priestesses?" Kagome asked.

"They had those too," he replied. "They were few and far between as they, like you, need to be born with a holy power. It's not so much a power to purify, but to heal, to act as a go between for the gods and man. They were probably the only being in the tribe who the people respected more than the village elder. While the role of the priest and priestess has changed a bit in the past several millennia, the respect they held by the people hasn't. That still remains very much the same."

She glanced toward Sesshoumaru and saw his own eyes narrow in understanding. He was thinking along the same things as she was. "I have had some insight over the past few days into the character of Mokuren, the priestess of one of the tribes. The one thing I think both Sesshoumaru and I agree on is Priestess Mokuren did not receive any respect from her tribe."

Bokuseno's eyes leveled with her own. "No, she did not."

AN

Okay, so we have a very dialogue driven chapter here, and same with the next as we start to hear some explanations. What was funny though was as I was writing these next few history/explanation chapters, madmiko on brought up a point about the treatment of Mokuren, and why she was being treated the way she was when priestesses and holy men were revered and treated well. There's a method behind my madness and I was impressed that somebody would pick that up. It was even more coincidental that she mentioned it as I was writing it. Bravo!

JayFicLover, you had mentioned the Clan of the Cave Bear books…I can honestly say that even though we own one of every book in that series in my house, I've never touched them. There's a spectacular series of books about Natives though that I have read, and if you liked Clan of the Cave Bear, you'll probably enjoy these. The People books by Michael and Kathleen Gear. It starts with People of the Wolf, then People of the Fire, People of the Earth, and more. I believe there's about 15 books in the series and they're absolutely fantastic. My love of history was renewed while reading those books, after it was destroyed by a horrible history professor while at school.

I hope everybody has a very good week. Keep your eyes open for a continuation of my one shot series, The Magpie Superstition. I am more than halfway written on the third story, so it should be up one of these days.

Disclaimer: see chapter one


	15. Bokuseno II

The ancient Mongolian tree looked both of them in the eyes, trying to gauge how much they knew of the legendary couple. Having been around for 2000 or more years himself, he considered himself to be an expert on reading others. The young miko read like an open book, she held no fear in letting others see what she was feeling on her face. The stoic young demon lord though knew better than to openly share his thoughts, as they could lead to death or a much worse fate. However, years of practice had taught him to read Sesshoumaru just as easily as he read the priestess. There wasn't anything the pup could slip by him.

And the two knew more than they were letting on. "What do you know about the priestess Mokuren?" he asked the young girl, letting his all-seeing eyes stare into hers.

"I Know she was a reluctant priestess, born in the role, but she didn't desire it. She chose to honour it though, and truly wanted to believe it was an honour serving her people. She gave up everything she wanted to help them, and in turn they made demands on her instead of requests, and they began to expect too much from her."

He nodded, knowing that just scratched the surface. "Her tribe was somewhat of an oddity. They didn't follow the same social structure as many of the other tribes at the time did, instead they formed their own. Battle hardened soldiers tired of listening to the elders dictate their every move, and one day, several years before the young priestess was born, they overthrew the elders, killed them and took their place.

"Lacking the wisdom age brings you, these men decided to lead the tribe in a different manner. They preached the idea of war and all good things come to those who fight for it, which in of itself is a worthwhile idea to live by, but they believed they had already fought for what they need and it should be handed to them. The men put the women to work who learned to slave over them.

"Anybody born into the tribe was raised with this belief and for years it continued this way. They had fought all their lives, they were due for something good. The leader, Takeo, murdered the tribal priest as the priest refused to follow this new belief. He didn't listen do the demands of his tribesmen, or his leader, and had informed them that the only will he would listen to would be the will of the gods, and the gods didn't agree with this new regime. Then came Mokuren, born to the leader's youngest brother, Seiji and his mate. This family never had a history of holy men or women, so how Mokuren ended up with holy powers of her own, they never figured it out, but then they didn't want to figure it out.

"She was never given a childhood as Takeo wanted her trained young. He wanted her trained to listen to him, not to follow the paths of other priests and priestesses, and so she was led to believe she was given this great honour by the gods to serve her uncle and his people. At the age of three she was pulled away from her friends, and they started to mold her mind to believe she was at the will of the people.

"At the age of five she healed her first battle torn warrior, stopping the blood and patching the body. At the age of seven, she delivered her first child, still a child herself. At age nine she held her first fast at the request of Takeo, who said fasting in his honour would bring favour upon him from the gods and he'll win the next battle. She did as she was told as she grew up believing this was the way. She led a very sheltered life in the way that the tribe tended to stay away from other tribes. They held their own celebrations, had their own war and hunting parties, and lived separated from others. Very rarely did they ever accept an outsider into the group, and even then they had to prove their loyalty to Takeo.

"Takeo was not a good man, and probably one of the first humans to be known as a warlord. He had no mate, didn't want mate. Instead he took women as he wanted, used them as he wanted, and left them for the rest of the villagers when he was done. He had numerous children, never two by the same woman though unless she had twins. And he ruled with an iron fist saying his word is law because it is the will of the gods. If the gods didn't want him to rule this tribe, they wouldn't have cleared the path."

"He sounds horrible," she murmured.

"He was terrible," the tree agreed. "But the tribe ran well, and was prosperous. They always had a surplus of food, furs, and strong shelters. They were well trained and were often able to defend themselves from their enemies. They always had goods to trade. Nobody was going to argue against a system that was working and providing. The men certainly weren't going to argue seeing as it kept the women under their thumbs."

"And Mokuren?"

"She was treated worst of all. There's something you need to know about Takeo. He was greedy. Nothing he did for the tribe was for the good of the tribe, it was all for his benefit. And the thing he wanted most was Mokuren. As I said before, he didn't want a mate, but he wanted Mokuren. However, being the selfish man he was, he didn't want to share, and he knew that if he took her, even for a short time, some other man would take her afterward, whether temporarily or as a mate. And if somebody had her as a mate, his honour would forbid him from taking her again. So it was he who came up with the rule that priestesses must remain pure. While he didn't wish to abide by it himself, he wouldn't risk her going to somebody else. So it became the will of the gods that she was not to be touched, she was not to fall in love, and she was to serve her people."

She remained still and silent as she heard the tale of Mokuren's woes. The heartache, the frustration, the weariness, and most prevalent of all, the fear.

Fear coursed through her veins, turning her blood into ice as she froze in her spot. She had known fear in the past, experienced it over several times while fighting demons, facing off against Naraku, watching her companions fall time and time again during battle. This was much more than that, it went much deeper.

"Miko?"

While she heard him, she didn't acknowledge him, or respond as she became more withdrawn from the outside world, and centered on the fear. She knew it wasn't her, there was nothing for her to be afraid of. She had come to the conclusion that she could trust Sesshoumaru not to hurt her, and she knew he wouldn't let Bokuseno hurt her. So why was she so afraid? She grabbed her head in her arms as it began to throb.

Takeo.

She could see him so clearly, and while she had never met him, she instinctively knew it was him. Black hair that fell to the shoulders, broad shoulders, a scar on his right pectoral, eyes dark as sin, and a spear in one hand. He stood there, tall, powerful, unforgiving. She thought Sesshoumaru was cold, Takeo now took the prize. He could be considered handsome, she thought, if she wasn't able to feel the dark aura surrounding him.

"_Priestess."_

"_Takeo-sama," she bowed low to the ground before giving the lord her undivided attention. He was the one man she was scared of. He was the one man she would drop all things for. She wanted to cringe and hide when he came to stand next to her. He always seemed to stand just a little too close, and despite his decree that she remain pure, she felt extremely uncomfortable around him. "What can I do for you today Takeo-sama?" She kept her eyes focused on the ground before him. She wouldn't look at him, she refused to look at him. _

"_I have a wound that requires healing," he pulled aside the white fur covering his chest to reveal several long gashes along his right pectoral. One was particularly deep and had her concerned, despite her fear of being alone with him.  
_

"_Bear?" she asked as she collected her small traveling sack from the ground next to her._

"_Yes," he laughed. "But it was no challenge for me. He got his one shot at me before backing away._

_She checked her herb bag for the leaf she needed, and nearly cried when she realized she didn't have it on hand. She couldn't treat him here, not out in public where she would be safe. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, Takeo-sama, the leaf I need is in my shelter. I'll be just a moment while I grab it." She quickly turned toward her shelter, and as fast as she could, she dug through a larger bag of herbs. She was thankful to see him standing where she left him when she returned, worried that he would have followed her into the hut as he had in the past. "We'll need some water to cleanse the wound, then I'll apply a paste to it to stem the blood flow." _

_She tensed up slightly as he grabbed her elbow to escort her to the nearest cool water river. There was something in his aura that disturbed her deep inside. But she would never dishonour her leader by showing him any sort of disrespect. _

"Priestess."

Kagome jumped out of her reverie at the sound of Bokuseno's voice, and she could feel her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She never meant to drift off like she had while listening to a story, but it seemed as if Mokuren was exerting herself once again.

Another memory.

And this one chilled her to the bone. "Takeo was not a good man," she confirmed, catching Sesshoumaru's eye. She didn't need to tell him what she just experienced. She was sure he could see it all on her face. "He didn't hurt her, but he scared the hell out of her."

Bokuseno agreed. "I find it unusual that you would know so much about this priestess." He narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm assuming you found the mirror."

Instead of answering him, she dug through her bag until she came upon a bundle of tissue near the bottom and pulled it out. Unfolding the tissue, she revealed the cracked mirror to both Sesshoumaru and Bokuseno. "A dragon youkai had been carrying it around for god knows how long. We found it after the dragon was destroyed. Only then, it was intact."

The tree demon nodded in thought as he looked at the mirror, and noted the cracks on both sides, exact replicas of each other. Glancing at the two sitting before him, one confused, nervous, upset and slightly afraid, and the other giving off nothing at all. He spoke to Sesshoumaru next. "If you are both here together, and she knows so much about Mokuren, I'm going to assume that you're in the same position regarding Shion."

The demon lord nodded. "His spirit now inhabits my body. While the history lesson has been enlightening, it currently does not help us out of our current predicament."

"You wish to remove the souls from your bodies." It was a statement of fact, not a question, and both Kagome and Sesshoumaru nodded in response. "This would be most difficult as your typical methods of soul and spirit removal will not work."

"Why not?" Kagome asked.

"Because these spirits are blessed. They were entrapped in the mirror by a god who took pity in their early demise. He recognized their love for what it was, whole and pure. You see, Shion loved Mokuren desperately. He was willing to forsake his entire lineage, his legacy for just one day with her. Mokuren returned that same love. However, it was her fear of Takeo and his decree of her virtue that held her back. She knew he would never give up his hunt for her, and she knew that while Shion would protect her with his life, not that it would come to that, she didn't want any blood shed on her behalf. Her love for humanity and life itself won out. Unfortunately neither had a chance to prove themselves to the other before they were killed by an unruly mob, humans and demons alike who teamed up to destroy the two."

"Takeo included?" she asked, although she didn't really need to know the answer.

"Takeo included. He was the one who went to Shion's brother. If he couldn't have Mokuren, then nobody would. It didn't take much convincing for both species to work together for this one cause."

"That's so sad," she murmured, feeling sorry for the two would be lovers.

"It was the way of life, and unfortunately much hasn't changed. It could very well happen again today. But I'm digressing. The god of love, Aizen-Myoo took pity on them and trapped them in a mirror to give them a second chance. It's a lot easier to exorcise a spirit that does not have a god's blessing than a spirit which does."

"Okay, we're prepared to work at this then, what do we need to do to get rid of them once and for all?" Kagome asked, but something told her she should be afraid of the answer.

And she was right.

There was a mischievous glint to Bokuseno's eye, one that neither Kagome nor Sesshoumaru trusted.

"It's very simple. They were trapped so they could have a second chance. If you want to be at peace, and you want them to be at peace, then that is what you must give them."

AN

Have a good labour day weekend!

Disclaimer: See chapter one


	16. A Second Chance?

For all of a moment the world slipped away from her. Sesshoumaru was gone, Bokuseno was gone, the grass, the sky, the trees, all of it gone. There was nothing, an empty desolate space, a void filled with just her and her thoughts.

A second chance.

That wasn't so hard to understand. How many people would kill for a second chance to do something they didn't, or to correct a mistake they regretted? She herself wished for many second chances. A chance to get to know her father better, to tell him she loved before he walked out the door one last time.

Or a chance to go back and tell herself not to fall in love with Inuyasha, so she could avoid all the hurt over the years.

Or maybe if she could have a second chance to do everything all over, she'd work at keeping the jewel whole and intact. She would never give up her friendships, she would never want to, but if she could keep the bond they all had, but not have to worry about a shattered jewel, well, who was to say she wouldn't jump at the chance?

But then these were all 'what ifs' and anybody living in reality knew that you couldn't go back in time to live your life over again.

But they weren't the only type of second chances. What about when you fight with your friends and you'd like to make amends? There's a second chance there to fix the situation, or if you lost something very important but found it again? You have a second chance to treasure it, keep it safe so you wouldn't lose it again.

Those second chances come quite often, and if you were smart enough, you'd jump on those opportunities.

But a second chance for love? After you've died? That was unheard of and the fact that this gift was bestowed upon the two spirits by a god, well it just terrified her. What if the second chance wasn't enough? What if they wanted more? Would the gods favour that request as well? The fact that they had the blessing of the gods made the situation seem all the more hopeless. Holy power wouldn't work, not when they were being protected by a holier power.

It was looking more and more hopeless.

She glanced over at Sesshoumaru, his face wasn't giving away anything. But she could see the conflict in his eyes, and feel it more so in his aura, the way his youki was going off in tremultuous waves. It showed that he was clearly troubled by the situation.

And when had she learned how to read him so well, she asked suddenly. A week ago if she saw him sitting there the way he was sitting there today, she'd have thought he just didn't care, it was all beneath him.

"You're feeling the bond, aren't you Kagome?" the tree broke through her thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"The bond. You're probably closer to Sesshoumaru than anybody, demon or human, has been in a long time. You can feel his energy, you can sense what's going on in his head."

She blushed slightly. "Not that well, but yes, I can pick up on certain emotions. Unwillingly," she added as she glanced back at him. Her comment had unnerved him.

"And Sesshoumaru," the tree directed his next question at him. "It is becoming easier to read the miko."

"The miko's emotions are never truly hidden," he said, without inflection. But again, she could feel awareness set in on him as he realized he couldn't hide much from her anymore. And her thoughts were confirmed as well, there wouldn't be much she could hide from him.

"Then they've settled themselves into her. They're trying to bond the two of you together, make you more aware of each other in the attempt to follow through on their own agenda."

This disturbed her now. How closely were they bonded? And how did they not realize this was their intent? They were clearly not looking at the whole picture.

"I need to go for a walk," she stood up suddenly and announced. She didn't know where she was going to go, but what she did know was she needed to get away, she needed to think for a few moments without interruption, or disruption. Sesshoumaru's mere presence could be considered a disruption. Her sudden awareness of him was disconcerting. "I'll be back in a bit. If not, I'm sure you'll find me." She grabbed her quiver, bow and backpack and ran.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye as she ran from the field, somewhere south. A quick sniff of the air reassured him that she wasn't going to run into something nasty, not that he was concerned about that, he tried convincing himself.

But Bokuseno's words needed some thought, and meditation. While he wasn't as outwardly affected by his story as the miko was, he was affected nonetheless. "The memories?" he asked, not needing to elaborate his question any further.

"A way to bond you two together," the tree confirmed. "While I don't know much about them, I'm sure the memories you're seeing are full of emotion, are the highlights of their relationship. They fought, as many lovers do, but something tells me you're not seeing that."

"No."

So the spirits were trying to be subtly manipulative. He narrowed his eyes at that thought. He hated manipulation, when there were so many more honourable ways to get what you want. But it still left him at a standstill, how to fight them. Bokuseno's answer wasn't nearly satisfactory as there was no way he intended to follow through on that suggestion.

And from the miko's earlier regard on him, he knew she had no intention of following through on it either.

"Is there any other way?" he finally asked, not wanting to admit defeat but knowing he needed help on this.

"No. The fact that the spirits were able to use a strong demon such as yourself, and a strong priestess as a host is highly distressing. It speaks of their own strengths. There is little you can do to rid yourself of a spirit. Holy power can usually exercise it, but we're talking about spirits who were blessed by a kami. They'll be resistant to holy power, not to mention it would purify you in the process."

Sesshoumaru nodded, having already come to this conclusion. While he was typically unconcerned about the powers of purification, the amount that would need to be used on him was problematic. If it didn't purify him, it would come damn close.

"Tell me, Bokuseno, how do you know so much about this pair when the legend is lost to everybody else? You're not old enough to have been there."

"No, you're right. But my father was just a young sapling when it all happened. He remembers distinctly what he saw. And the trees talk to each other. What he didn't see he heard from others. Keep in mind that this was a strange group, so everybody kept an ear open for them. The only thing we trees can do is tell stories as we can't travel and see things for ourselves. This was one that was told to me many times."

"Amongst your talks with each other, did you ever find out how the mirror came to be? Why wasn't it hidden?"

"Why hide something that was meant to be found?" The mirror was given to a priest in the northern lands for safe keeping. It was to be passed on from one generation to the next, but without instructions, and without knowledge of what was contained in it. The humans thought the mirror to be a sacred gift from the gods, and it was to bring them luck and prosperity. Only the priest knew what it was, and he kept it secret for many years until he passed it onto his son. It was only during his last moments, when he was sick with the fever, did he start ranting about what it contained inside. His son heard, but kept it secret for many years as well. The story was soon forgotten to time though, and the mirror was considered just that, a mirror."

He relaxed his pose just slightly, and turned the tree out. He had heard enough for the moment, and while he would require more information later, he needed to digest the bit he had received today.

It amused him to no end that the tree didn't mention much about who Shion was, but then he didn't need to hear that. He knew more than he was letting on to both Bokuseno or the miko. He knew the demon as well as he knew himself from the few brief glimpses into his past. But then the miko didn't have this instinct, this keen sense of judgement when it comes to others, no matter how close they were to her, hence the reason she needed explanations about the past priestess.

But Shion affected more than anybody knew. He dreamt of the demon, his every waking thought was becoming consumed by the demon. His journey here was fraught with memories, daydreams where he would catch a glimpse of the two beings together, or Shion watching her from afar when she bathed, or tended to the ill.

It had him thinking about his own miko in strange ways, and while he chose to stay away while she bathed, the inclination to join her was there. And it was very real. The bonding was happening very quickly and it begged the question, where did his thoughts for the miko end and Shion's thoughts for the priestess begin?

It was all blending into one big tapestry of emotion.

"Where is the miko?" he asked the tree, knowing he would be able to sense from afar, or at least consult the nearby trees for word of her.

"Not too far. Perched by a small spring on a rock," he replied.

"Good." The demon lord shifted his position once more and closed his eyes. "I don't want to be disturbed unless it is of dire importance," he ordered, before beginning his meditations. The only way things were going to be figured out was if he could get inside himself, inside the demon spirit, for just a moment, and shed some light on them both.

AN

Shorter chapter than usual, but this chapter was driving me up the wall. It felt right to end it here as every time I tried to continue, it would just get stuck. Who am I to argue with my muse when it has an idea stuck in its head?

So I received a free night's stay at a gorgeous resort in Muskoka. We went out to Algonquin Provincial Park yesterday and hiked along trails, and took a walk along the waterfront last night admiring the stars (the billions or so in the sky you don't see in the city). It was fantastic, until the geese. I didn't see the stupid Canadian geese in the water and yes, I was attacked, vile beasts. They all started flapping at me and charging at my aunt and I until we backed way off. So that cut short our walk quite a bit as we couldn't get near the shore. I hate birds. And as I know the visciousness of the geese, I make it a point to give them wide berth. Ever seen their beaks? They have saw like teeth. But, they inspired part of my next chapter!

But it's been nice, sitting on the balcony this morning, doing a bit of writing. Oh and I had the most comfortable bed ever last night. God, I want to take the whole thing home.

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: See Chapter one


	17. Trouble

The trek to the northern lands wasn't the easiest they had ever done. It was long, arduous, and the cold was starting to get to all of them. The mood was somber, and not for the first time, Inuyasha had wished Kagome was with them. She could keep them from getting bored, and as much as he would hate to admit publicly, he quite enjoyed the games she would come up with to pass the time.

Shippo had suggested twenty questions, and the game maybe lasted that long until two of them got into an argument. They had tried two or three other games they had learned, but each ended early either with him bopping the runt for being annoying, or Sango beating Miroku for grabbing her ass.

There was only so many times she would let him grab her before she knocked him unconscious, thereby slowing their trip down even further.

The silence of the woods was eerie as this was uncharted territory, at least for them, and Inuyasha could only hope that Kagome was having better luck with Bokuseno. They wouldn't make it to their destination tonight as it was, as dusk would be settling soon. Glancing around he checked for a safe spot to camp for the night, not wanting to find a village or sleep out in the open.

It was the night of the new moon, and wherever they parked themselves, he was bound and determined not to be seen by humans and youkai alike. There were too many enemies these days. the new moon only served to piss him off more today though, as it meant they couldn't travel through the night. The plan was to get to the north, get the information they needed ASAP, and return. The longer he left Kagome with the bastard, the more uncomfortable with the situation he would become.

There was something about those two…they were starting to look chummy, much too cozy for his liking. Since when did she trust him enough to go off alone with him anyway? The Kagome he knew would never have done such a think.

"Hey, Miroku," he called back. "What do you think of all this? Why would she go willingly with him and not insist upon one of us coming along."

"Probably because she knows one of us wouldn't stand a chance against Sesshoumaru to begin with," he mused, knowing that he only toyed with Inuyasha on the occasions they fought.

"I could take him," the hanyou mumbled dejectedly.

"Not tonight you couldn't," the monk warned him, not putting in words what they had to look forward to in the evening. "Besides, I'm thinking the part in him that's Shion won't let him hurt Kagome as she's the vessel to Mokuren. It'd be like him cutting off his nose to spite his face."

"What if this story isn't true?"

"Relax, Inuyasha," Sango piped in. "We've seen these spirits in action. We know they're there. You saw the same thing I did when the two lights flew out of the mirror."

"Yeah, but who's to say these two spirits are lovers. They could be acting in an effort to fool us before trying to kill each other."

Miroku paused as he looked around them. The grass was lush and green, and the stream looked reasonably clean. Certainly clean enough for drinking. Occasionally he could see a fish swim by, which meant they could catch dinner, or Kilala should be able to catch dinner. She was the huntress of the group when it came to catching fish.

The trees around them offered the privacy that would be needed to shield the hanyou from prying eyes. While he wouldn't be able to sleep in the trees tonight, there was enough bush around for him to hide himself in case anybody stumbled in upon them.

"Inuyasha?" he gestured to the area, not needing to voice anything further, knowing half-demon would understand

Gold eyes surveyed the land around him, pleased with the bush, and even more pleased about a dip in the ground behind them. It was no cave, which would have offered even better protection, but seeing as the sun was waning, it would have to do. He nodded before taking his place behind the bush. It would seem that they would have nothing but time tonight – something he couldn't afford but had to take nonetheless.

Lying back on the ground, he thought of Kagome as he felt the change sweep through him. Hanyou to human in thirty seconds, he mused. God how he hated the new moon. It made him feel entirely too vulnerable, even though time and time again his friends have proven that being human was not a hindrance.

Then there was Kagome who had no battle skills, no survival skills to speak of when she arrived in the feudal era for the first time so many years ago. Yet she jumped right in to fight for what was hers.

And she would never hesitate to step up for a friend.

But it was so different for her. She never had to rely on hanyou strength and senses to survive, and she never felt the difference between having superhuman capabilities, and simply being human. Not to mention she didn't grow up in a world of hate where the only way to survive was by out witting and out fighting your enemies.

Humanity was something that could essentially kill him. And so while he admired his friends for their strengths, it wasn't something he could do. It was a weakness he was forced to acknowledge.

"Damn it," he muttered as his toe hit a rock while he was stretching out.

This was another thing he could never get used to. It hurt like hell to be a human sometimes.

He ignored the pain and thought of his friend. He sincerely hoped the others were right, that she would be fine because the spirit of Shion would protect her from Sesshoumaru. He would never forgive himself if something happened to her and he wasn't here to protect her, to help her. He should have been the one to journey with her, to help her through this, not his brother.

The night darkened to a pitch black, in the corner of the site, he could see the others sitting around the small fire, their mood somber as well. Miroku, he knew, would take Kagome's place tonight as his protector, refusing to sleep so he could keep him company, and so he could be on the alert for something foul as well.

She readied her arrow as she aimed at her prey, a goose youkai tormenting a nearby family. As of yet the goose didn't know she was there, but she knew the moment it sensed her presence she'd either be dead, or near dead. The viciousness and velocity of those things were unmatched by many bird youkai, with the exception of the predatory bird youkai.

She was all set to go off on her own and think things through, figure out what Bokuseno's words meant, and what she could do to set the spirits free without having to follow his words literally. Most of all, she needed to think about Sesshoumaru. If she really had to go through with this, she needed to know where he fit in her life, as she couldn't just simply sleep with her enemy, then turn around and walk away like nothing happened the next morning.

But the nearby screams had awoken her from her thoughts, and the sound of destruction echoed throughout the forest. She could see from where she stood the roof of a small hut being torn to shreds by the youkai. Why it was attacking them, she didn't know, but then she also knew many youkai didn't need provocation to attack a human.

Damn birds, she thought as she followed him with her bow. Why couldn't they stay still for her, why did they have to keep moving? It would make things much simpler if they just stopped what they were doing for just one minute. Not even. Just the time it would take for her to properly aim her weapon and shoot.

"Here goes nothing," she murmured under her breath when she saw the youkai diving at a young boy. Pulling back the arrow, she narrowed her eyes and let it loose.

"Eep!" she squealed with the arrow clipped the wing, but didn't purify the bird. Red eyes narrowed on her as it decided to ignore the little boy.

"Shit!" she ran from her perch and tried to make her way back to Bokuseno. Sesshoumaru was there. If she couldn't defeat the bird, he most certainly good.

The goose youkai squawked at her and started to dive at her. She grabbed a rock and threw it, knowing she had to stop it but also knowing she didn't have time to ready any more arrows.

"Oh God," she dove out of the way, skinning her knees and elbows on the dirt and rocks as the bird narrowly missing her. Rolling onto her back, she quickly pulled another arrow from her quiver and aimed while the bird turned around in the sky. "How the hell are you still flying?" she screamed at it when she noticed the injured wing. It wasn't slowing down at all.

"Pathetic human," it screeched at her. "As if one of your measly arrows is good enough to stop me. The feathers will grow back and I'll be stronger than ever."

Mimicking that of a hawk the goose dove at her once again, sharp claws outstretched ready to gut her.

"I don't think so you dumb bird. I'm getting pretty tired of being called a pathetic human," she shouted as she released her second arrow. 'Please,' she hoped it would strike true.

Her face fell as the youkai flew to the side, missing it completely, and sped up its descent on her. 'I'm going to die, I'm going to die,' she kept chanting inwardly as she crouched low ready to spring at a second's notice.. It was too late, she realized as she saw the tips of the bird's claws a foot away from her face.

She closed her eyes.

He was floating somewhere between the states of consciousness and unconsciousness, sorting through the information he had received. Some of it he knew, whether it be from the visions, or instinctive.

Some of it he didn't.

He had guessed that the priestess Mokuren wasn't being treated as she should. The glimpses into her life from his dreams, and glimpses into Shion's mind had told him as much. Yet, for some reason, he was reluctant to tell the miko of his findings. Her sympathetic heart, as useless as it was, would have been disturbed by it and she would have started to identify more with the spirit.

This was something he couldn't let happen. The closer she became to it, the better chance there was of becoming one with it.

And if she became one with Mokuren, well, Shion would never leave him. It wasn't a price he was willing to pay.

But still, the images disturbed him on some level, and he knew it was honour that found such acts that were committed heinous. The girl was never given a chance to be a child, and never given a chance to find out who she really was.

And although she was protected from the more dangerous lot of men, it was for the wrong reasons. There was lust. He could picture the lust in Takeo's face clearly, the way his eyes would widen just a touch, and his nose would flare out when he began to breath heavier.

It was disgusting.

While he never cared for any human, he refused to care for any human, there were certain behaviours that were appalling and degrading. And they had no place around him. Shion stirred in him, a shift of energies as he was thinking this through. It was slight, but unmistakable, and he didn't need to be told that the spirit agreed with him, though for very different reasons.

"_Come with me."_

The words echoed in and out of his head. Why would a demon lord risk everything for a simple human?

"_I need you."_

"_You mean more to me than my lands, my people."_

"_Stay with me."_

An empire of demons, and he would give it up for one human girl?

There was honour in that, he reluctantly admitted, but there was no girl, or woman, who was worthy enough to take him away from his goals.

Any demoness he ever took as a mate,if he ever took a demoness as a mate, would know her place, and know that it would be the pup he desired, and a way to increase his own power. A political alliance was not out of the question.

But love?

Love was definitely not in the picture, and even love wouldn't make him give up everything he had for a mere woman.

Halfway in and out of consciousness, he let his mind float, clearing it of anything that would burden it, focusing instead on himself, his inner thoughts, inner peace. When the mind and body becomes one with his surroundings, it would be easier for him to figure out the next step.

His peace and serenity were interrupted just as he felt everything begin to balance out, something was making his skin tingle and crawl.

Something of incredible power that was not his own.

Opening his eyes he turned them in the direction of the miko.

Trouble

AN

Ah so the chapter is finally here. I believe this one caused me more trouble to write than the last one. However, I already have next week's chapter written as inspiration struck me, so hopefully it'll be a while before you have to go two weeks without an update again. My apologies on the delay.

Enjoy the update, I'm about to go outside and enjoy the last of the nice weather we get here before the misery of a Canadian October sets in.

Disclaimer: See chapter one


	18. Troubled Pasts

"_I have to return soon," she whispered, not wanting to break the silence they had both grown to love. "Somebody will suspect something if I'm gone longer than I need to be."_

"_A few minutes more," Shion whispered into her ear as he pulled her tighter into his warmth, preventing the chill of autumn from getting to her. _

"_Okay."_

_He watched her throw her head back in laughter as she skidded across the ice of the frozen pond. She didn't laugh nearly enough and the sound rang through the air like the call of a nightingale. Soft, melodious, and just for him._

_Why had he held back all those years when he could have been around her sooner, could have made her laugh sooner?_

_But this one sound made the wait worth it. He'd wait another thousand years for her if it meant he'd hear her laugh again._

_And he spun her around the ice some more._

_A surprise storm had blown through the area, knocking down branches, and in some cases, entire trees. Virtually every hut in their village was decimated, many left injured, two killed. She sighed, looking at her own hut which lay in a thousand pieces, her trunks and furs soiled, her herbs gone. _

_Mentally slapping herself, she looked away. It was not the time to be selfish when so many others needed her. The men in her village worked on their homes while the women were out in the woods gathering food for their dinner tonight. Little Sora, a homeless girl who traveled from hut to hut when one family became unable to take care of her, was currently out collecting new herbs for her. _

_Tonight, she would sleep under the stars, and be thankful the damage wasn't worse. _

_Tomorrow she would rebuild her hut._

_Sighing one more, she turned out to the woods and caught the green eyes watching her. Her breath caught in her throw before she threw him a small smile and walked away._

_Shion was here. All would be all right for now._

_He saw the brief upset pass through her eyes before she covered it up with feigned understanding. Frowning, he brushed some of her black hair away from her face, the wind having blown it around as it was not tied up in its usual braid._

_She was not allowed to have it braided in his presence. It should be loose, and free, blowing in the wind, much like she should be free to do as she wished._

"_If I didn't have to go…" he murmured, not wanting to say anymore._

"_I understand," she smiled encouragingly for him, but he knew it was forced. Their time together meant as much to her as it did to him. _

_Duty, however, seemed to be the equivalent to life, and no matter how much she wished him to stay, he knew she would never ask because it was his duty to lead his clan. She would never get in the way, much like she would never leave her clan and abandon her duty._

_He both loved and hated her for it._

"_I'll be back in five nightfalls," he whispered, then took off to the west before she could bat an eye. _

'_When I return, I'll make you see the light,' he promised silently._

"_There she is."_

_She heard the voice, sensed the presence of the youkai long before they decided to show their faces. She didn't need to see them to know they were followers of Shion. His aura surrounded them telling her it hadn't been long since he was in their presence._

_So what were they doing this far from their home base? As far as she knew, Shion wasn't with them, he had returned to his domicile the night before to deal with clan issues, or so he had said. _

_A rebellion._

_Some of his followers were starting to question his status as Alpha. She didn't necessarily understand everything that had to do with youkai culture, but she knew enough that questioning the alpha male was tantamount to rebelling against the tribe._

_And now they were coming after her. _

_Running, she left the safety of the village, unwilling to put any of her tribes people in jeopardy, especially the children. She wouldn't let the monsters near the children._

_And they were monsters to her. Their auras containing nothing of the gentleness Shion displayed toward her. They were full of anger, rage, hate._

_It was rolling off them in waves, nearly making her sick to her stomach and buckling at her knees in the effort to get away._

_She grabbed several of the hunting spears from the side of a nearby cottage, promising herself that she would do her penance later for stealing the weapons of one of the hunters, and managed to make it into the woods before hiding herself behind a large rock. It wasn't much of a hiding spot, she knew, but with their sense of smell, it didn't matter if she hid behind a rock, or deep in an obscure cave. They would find her and she'd rather they find her in a place she could run from, if need be, as opposed to a place where she'd be cornered._

"_Come out, come out little priestess," she heard one of them call to her. "We won't hurt you." Their snickers echoed throughout the woods and for the first time in her life, she was truly afraid. _

_Death had always been something she accepted, knowing that was a part of life. In order to live you life, you knew that you had to die sometime, and knowing this just made the living all the more sweeter._

_Everyday she dealt with injured tribes people, sick tribes people, and at least once a lunar cycle she had to prepare a body for burial whether the loss came from the illness, old age, or a casualty of war or a hunting party. This was nothing new to her, and until this point, she had never feared death._

_But she feared it now, having just found something in her life she truly loved, having someone she found complete peace and joy in. Something deep in her heart didn't want to lose that, she wanted to bathe in its existence for a while longer, even though she knew nothing could come of it._

_Continuing to bathe in it would only ensure her death. If not by his people, then by hers._

_Clutching the spears in her hand, she stepped out from the rock, ready to face her foes. If today was going to be the day she died, she was going to die honourably. _

"_What do you want," she challenged them as they came into view, and she noted their scraggly looks that show they had been away from home for a while. The tallest of them stepped forward, his black eyes narrowing in her as he pushed his long, dark brown hair out of his face. Even the strange markings looked menacing to her, the black jagged stripes across each cheek._

"_Only the human who has dared to sully my lord with her presence," he growled._

"_Then you've come to the wrong place youkai, your lord has not been sullied."_

"_Lies!" he shouted, flexing his claws. "You're nothing but a human whore. Our lord deserves better than this."_

"_We deserves better than this," another of the youkai piped up. _

"_What your lord does in his time isn't any of your business, but I'll tell you now, I am no whore. Leave," she commanded with all the authority she could muster in her voice._

"_Youkai have been decimated in our region because of your kind," he snarled at her. "Raiding parties have come in and one by one targeted a youkai so they could lay claim to a kill. If our lord had been at home, and not with you," he spat to the ground in disgust, "then these things wouldn't have happened."_

_She looked at him and beyond the hate in his eyes, she could see the sadness, the loss. "Who was she?" she asked him suddenly, softly._

_His eyes widened just a touch before narrowing on her again. "It doesn't matter who she was to me, human. Your kind killed her for the glory of killing a youkai, not caring about the cost of this glory to others. The blame for her death rests on your shoulders and now you must pay."_

_The hurt echoed in his voice. An eye for an eye. Shion had told her very little of his people's beliefs, but he had informed her of that one particular law the day a man in her village struck her in his grief. She didn't blame him, but it didn't stop her demon from cornering him out in the woods one-day, and sending him back to the village injured, which she had to tend to._

_She dropped one of the spears to the ground, but kept the second clutched tightly in her hands. ._

_He was right. He had lost somebody important and it could have been stopped if she didn't monopolize the time of the demon lord. She knew there was a possibility the death still would have occurred, even if Shion had been there, but something in her heart told her otherwise. He would have fought the men off single handedly to protect what was his. _

"_I'll take the blame," she whispered, lowering her eyes. An eye for an eye, she took away the one demon who would have risked his life protecting his pack. "But if you want to kill me, you'll have to know I won't go easily. I was not the direct cause of your friend's death, nor were my people. I have a duty to fulfill and my time is not yet done here."_

"_Your time is done when I say it's done," the first youkai spat again before edging closer to her. "Your life is mine in exchange for the one I lost."_

_For the first time in her life she felt true fear, not the mild sickly fear that she felt whenever Takeo would come near, but honest to goodness fear for her life. "Tell your friends to back off," she demanded. "If my life is yours, then they have no need to be here."_

_With a flick of his wrist, the two behind him were dismissed. She was pleased to see youkai believed honour was important too. She had heard stories that said otherwise._

'_Please,' she whispered to herself. 'Please protect me,' she asked the gods, knowing she would have nobody else to rely on. _

_The youkai advanced on her, fast as lightening and her spear fell to the ground as she was pinned to the rock behind her, his fist tightening around her throat._

'_I've lost,' she thought as she felt the encroaching darkness come upon her._

"_Your life is mine," the youkai repeated._

_And darkness overcame her._

AN

Wanted to give you guys a heads up to a new fic you'll be seeing somewhere around here in the next week. I have one more chapter to write before I start posting it. I've been banking chapters for it and I'm currently writing Chapter 10, which was my goal before starting to post it. This thing has completely taken over as I've written 9.1 chapters since last Saturday night. Quick hint, it's called b For Her /b and it will contain some heavy angst….which is funny because when I first started it, I started it with the intention of it being really light and fluffy. I have since thrown that idea out the window lol. But I love angst, so it's still all good, with me anyway.

I have also posted a one-shot/drabble collection called Interludes. They're all unconnected, but are various pieces I've written for different LJ communities. For any writers out there, I highly recommend the LJ communities as they are a great place to practice your writing and hone your skills. Personally, especially after writing For Her, I feel that my writing has grown by leaps and bounds from writing these little one-shots and drabbles. Heck, I even wrote a PWP and smut is so not in my comfort zone (can be found in Interludes). So the collection on ASS contains my Sess/Kag drabbles. There's one on which contains more as one is just Sesshoumaru-centric, and one is Kagome/Implied Inuyasha. However, you won't find the PWP there as I'm too lazy to edit it to make it acceptable.

www. fanfiction. net/ priestessskye take out the spaces lol.

As always, thank you so much for your reviews, they mean the world to me and help me to keep writing. When a particular chapter bogs me down, they always make me smile and persevere.

Priestess Skye

Disclaimer: See chapter one


	19. A Light

She was shrouded by light, bright white, near blinding in its brilliance. She couldn't move, couldn't react as the youkai continued to dive at her, yet this bright light continued to grow brighter until she was forced to close her eyes. Her body hummed as the power coursed through her, strong and unfamiliar. It dawned on her. This wasn't her power, her reiki that was coming to surface. It didn't feel right, not nearly as comforting, or warm.

This was hot, fueled by fear and the imminent danger. If she weren't about to die, she'd have been truly scared.

And then everything was quiet, calm, almost serene. Afraid to open her eyes, she remained crouched on the ground, shivering at the onslaught of the cold. Or perhaps, it was shock, she noted. It could very well be shock. Or perhaps she was already dead, the goose youkai having disemboweled her, killing her instantly so she wouldn't feel the pain.

As she contemplated her future, or perhaps her past, the shivering became worse, ensnaring her body in wracking shakes and sobs. It was almost as if it were too powerful for her contain, for her to be able to control.

What the hell was it?

---

_Darkness became light as she felt a cool hand upon her body, strong, reassuring._

_Shion._

_Only he could make her feel whole again, make her feel like she truly mattered to someone. "Shion," her eyes fluttered open, struggling against the darkness and focused on his green ones, so soft, and expressive. She'd never seen this side of him before._

"_Shh…" he held her hand in one hand as he dipped a cloth into the water before wiping her brow. "Rest."_

_Overcome with exhaustion, she fell asleep, curled into his warmth as he brought her closer to him._

_---_

"Miko."

She couldn't stop shaking as she opened her eyes to see Sesshoumaru standing several feet away from her, sword still in his hand. His golden eyes scanned the area before looking back at her and sheathing the sword. She was still alive, she noted as she tried to pick herself off the ground.

"What happened?" he asked as he walked toward her, waiting for her to pick herself up.

"I don't know, goose youkai was attacking a nearby family. I thought I could help. I think I only made things worse."

"Foolish girl."

She looked around her, for the first time truly seeing the damage she had caused. Trees above her devoid of any leaves, many of the branches left smoldering. A pile of ash lay at her feet. Was that the youkai? What the hell happened.

"There was a power surge," she looked at him with inquiring eyes. "It wasn't mine."

He looked at her, as if contemplating her words. "I stood on the edge of the clearing. Whatever the power was, it did indeed come from you. Though I will admit it was unlike any I have seen before."

"It wasn't mine," she repeated as she began to control the shaking in her body. "It was too powerful to come from me, too uncontrollable. Mine feels like a caress when it surfaces, no matter how intense it becomes, it feels like it's a part of me. This was hot, fearsome. If it comes again I don't know if I'd be able to control it."

"Hn."

---

He wasn't going to tell her that he had reacted in the most basic of levels to the power emanating from her body, or continuing to emanate, although it only just skimmed below the surface of her. It was almost as if it were trying to calm him down.

What worried him though wasn't so much his reaction, as it was an instinctive reaction to any sort of trouble, but it was the relief he felt when she was alive, though not unscathed. The worst of hurts didn't have to be physical and she was too unused to her own power to be comfortable with the use of any other's.

And he didn't have to guess as to where it came from. The demon spirit within stirred as it flared up, recognizing it almost immediately. He had seen it before, he thought darkly as the demon continued to stir. Fighting to keep him from surfacing, he turned away, needing to speak with Bokuseno again.

"Come, miko."

---

_The beast within him wanted blood, wanted to sink it's claws in the bodies of those who dared to defy him, rip out their hearts and squeeze until the flesh exploded and the warm fluids inside dribbled down his fingers. _

_That would only be the beginning. _

_He wanted to make an example of them, hang them up on the trees with their intestines wrapped around their throats, their organs spilled at their feet to show the others the warning he felt reverberating through him._

_Touch what's mine and you shall pay dearly._

_He was not ignorant, he knew of the plotting and anger resonating through his lands, the fact that his followers were starting to see him as weak for falling in love with a human. He could not help that, he could not stop the plotting, and he could not put an end to the anger. _

_But he could protect what was his, and he would do it with everything he had within him. _

_Going full speed, he had raced to Mokuren's encampment, willing himself to arrive before the others did. It was only by chance he had overheard this particular plot and something inside him was tied in knots at the thought of him being too late. She was only human, there was no way she could survive against a pack of angry youkai. _

_He stopped on the edge of the forest as a blinding light came at him, as he felt his youki flare up to fight whatever it was that was preventing him from getting to his beloved. The edges of his furs began to singe as the power tried to burn him, before becoming a soothing caress. _

_It dawned on him. It was her. She would never harm him, intentionally or unintentionally and the deepest parts of her recognized that. Boldly, he moved forward, toward the light._

_Upon arriving at the clearing he was greeted by the ashes of those who dared to defy him. He felt some dark satisfaction at knowing they died before achieving their goal, and knowing she would be able to defend herself in a life or death situation. The anger surfaced again with the knowledge that she had needed to defend herself. It should never have come to this, he clenched his fists before running to the lake. _

_Never again would she need to use her powers, he vowed. _

_Never again._

_---_

Looking at her sitting next to the demon tree, he couldn't help but assess the damage, the scratches and bruises from the battle, the way her hair was mussed up, the tiny cut in the corner of her forehead. All of them tribute to the strength within her, that she could defeat a youkai, even if it was a goose, without losing her life in the process. Time and time again she had stood against him, proud and defiant, and though he could sense the fear underneath it all each and every time, she never once dared to show it. She looked, determined.

As she did now as she tried to process everything that had happened earlier in the evening. He should never have let her leave, he thought as his stomach clenched, should never have let her go off on her own, whether or not she needed it.

"Mokuren's power was much like yours Kagome," the tree demon explained. "She was untrained, unable to control it, and for the most part she wasn't aware it was even there. That was the first sign that she was something other than human."

"How could she more than human if she was born mortal?"

"The same way that you're more than human. Yes, you were born mortal, and born to human parents, not a drop of demon blood in either one of them. I don't need to know your past to know this. You would not be a miko otherwise. But you have a power that many humans could only dream of, and it grows stronger with the strength of your love. This is what makes you more than human. It was this that make Mokuren more than human."

"So it was Mokuren's power I felt," she said in awe. "That's why it was uncomfortable and unfamiliar."

"Indeed. It is also why you weren't burned in the process. She is a part of you now, and even though her power surfaced, you as her vessel could not be harmed. But those who threatened to harm her vessel would be destroyed."

"She's not giving up her second chance," Kagome confirmed, finally coming to terms with the events of the evening.

It didn't mean that he felt comfortable with the power flare. Sesshoumaru was in firm belief that it only tied her to the spirit even more, deepened the bond between the two and if it kept up, Kagome could be lost in the process.

Shion was another strength he had to fight against. The attack against Kagome had nearly brought the spirit to the surface, and the visions he had had while he walked back to Bokuseno was disturbing to say the least.

They were beginning to mirror much of what he felt at the moment. How much of it was him and how much of it was from the influence of the spirit? With the exception of a few moments here and there, the demon spirit wasn't interfering much. Was this because it had already unknowingly bonded with him?

"We leave tomorrow," he told the miko before leaving the site, they needed sustenance. While he could go another day without requiring food, the earlier ordeal had surely left her weak and exhausted. Humans, he knew, required nourishment to move forward, else she would become more of a hindrance than a help in winning the battle.

Narrowing his eyes, he thought over his words. It was a battle, between the two of them, and the spirits who have invaded their bodies, their senses.

And it was a battle he had every intention of winning.

His way.

---

"_So weak," she whispered as she awoke again, this time wrapped in several furs near a fire in a nearby cave. _

"_You'll get stronger."_

_She turned and smiled at Shion, before frowning as she remembered the words of the youkai earlier._

"_I'm a danger to you. You should leave me be," she pleaded as she tried to sit up._

_His eyes hardened at her words, refusing to acknowledge them. "What I do with my own time, and who I do it with is nobody's business but my own. You are not a danger."_

"_They're starting to rebel. Today was only the start."_

"_And each time they try I will put them back in their place," he countered. "I will not leave you."_

"_You have a duty to your people."_

"_Yes, but I also have a duty to my heart, which comes first and foremost above all others. I will not leave you," he reiterated. "My people are revolting, yes, but only a handful, and I'm dealing with it as best I can. What happened today, that isn't typical. Nor will it happen again." His eyes bore into hers. "I will protect you."_

"_At the cost of your own life and those of others?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Her demon was fiercely loyal, and after watching her, protecting her for years, she knew he would not give her up any time soon."_

"_With my life," he vowed._

_Sighing, she looked up, finally noticing the darkness around them telling her the moon was out. "My people are going to wonder where I am. I need to go."_

"_Stay," he pleaded._

_Heart heavy, she knew she couldn't. The more time she spent with him, the stronger the danger would grow, and she would not be the cause of his downfall._

"_I can't. I need to go."_

_---_

AN

A day early but then I've got about half the chapter written of the next chapter, so I thought I'd give you a treat. Keep your eyes open tomorrow for an update of For Her. Great news on that one though, I've finished it!! All thirteen chapters of angst and sugar and spice and everything nice…probably more angst than anything else lol. Keep your eyes open on Interludes as well as I'm constantly updating that with small drabbles and one shots. www fanfiction net / priestess skye to get the complete collection (minus Le Vice Anglais as I'm not going to edit it to make it safe). The one you see here is strictly Sess/Kag drabbles. I have all sorts of pairings on will shortly anyhow :)

To all Canadians, have a very Happy Thanksgiving on Monday. We're having part one of thanksgiving this Monday, immediate family, and part two next Sunday lol, extended family. We're Italian, we like food and a reason to share food with each other lol.

Thank you to everybody who reviewed, as always your comments brighten my day.

Disclaimer: See Chap 1


	20. Tension

The night was silent with the exception of the crackling of the fire. Every now and again the wood would pop, sending embers in the air. They didn't have anything to say to each other, everything having been said to and in front of Bokuseno earlier. There was a sense of an uneasy companionship between the two now that wasn't there before, as if there were more to consider than their mutual goal of ridding themselves of the demon spirits.

They were almost, and she hated to admit it simply because of their history, but they were almost friends. And it scared her to think that she was able to put aside their past so easily. She had always been the type to forgive those who tried to kill her, as long as they were properly remorseful in the end. After all, she had forgiven Inuyasha and Miroku. But Sesshoumaru had never once shown an ounce of remorse, and the smell of his poison often times still made her sick.

If it weren't for Tessaiga, she shuddered, not wanting to consider the possibility. How fast would it have burned through her body? Would it have taken seconds? Minutes? Hours? And more importantly, would it have been a mild pain, like an itch as it burned? Or would it have caused her to scream in agony? She had been poisoned before, but somehow she doubted Mukotsu and his special blend compared to Sesshoumaru's. After all, he was taiyoukai. They don't come more powerful than that.

But he sat there staring at her from across the way, neither speaking, or waiting for her to speak. He just stared, blank eyes, a tinge of curiousity mixed in there, as if he were trying to figure her out. The curiousity surprised her, but what was more surprising was the fact that she saw it at all. Very rarely had she ever been able to catch a glimpse of what he was thinking.

Perhaps the power surge from earlier had affected him more than he was letting on, or perhaps he saw something that could have a future effect on them? There were questions she wanted to ask, but he was clearly not in the mood to talk.

Just stare.

It was disconcerting the way he was trying to read her. "You could just come out and ask," she told him as she stared into the fire, unable to meet the inquiring eyes again.

She was answered with silence, which was not unexpected.

Sighing, she stood and rolled out her sleeping bag. "I have nothing to say if you're not going to ask. I don't bite so I don't know what your problem is."

And he continued to stare at her, his head slightly tilted as if he still hadn't figured her out and wouldn't rest until he did.

"Look," she turned to him before climbing into her bedding. "If you ask your questions, I will answer, I have nothing to hide. But I can't tell you anything if I don't know what you want to ask." Leveling her eyes at him for one more moment, she finally gave up. He wasn't going to say anything, so she wouldn't deign him with anything in return.

After all, if he wanted to be a stubborn ass, who was she to stop him?

---

He nearly smirked when she rolled over in her bedding, turning her back to him. So easy to rile up, it had almost been too easy. She was right though, as reluctant as he was to admit it, he was curious. How was it possible for a soul to conjure such great power? And how was it that her own reiki didn't surface at the same time? Many times he had seen two powers in one being come together, but he had never seen one overpower the other to the point of the other remaining dormant.

Most curious.

And frustrating. Bokuseno had told them all he could, but there was still too much that went unanswered. His suggestion of eliminating the souls was simply unacceptable, yet there was no other option in the foreseeable future.

But the power…it was alluring. That was the only way to describe it as it welcomed him into its folds while destroying any and all it saw as competition. And Shion's driving force nearly had him walk right in. How much more of the demon spirit's influence could he take before he lost himself to it? How much more could she take? She was only human, nothing more.

The visions were becoming more frequent now too, most of them shared between the two, and most of them appearing at random moments with no time. And as each vision occurred, he could feel his own body becoming further integrated with Shion's soul, he could feel Shion's emotions running through him, overshadowing his own at times.

Part of him wanted her, wanted her to acquiesce to Bokuseno's solution, if for nothing else than to separate himself from the demon spirit. However, if he did, what then? She was human, mortal, and female. Most females he knew demanded some sort of a relationship after participating in such an act. He could not, and would not give her one.

After all, Sesshoumaru, lord of the west, would not willingly give himself to a human girl, especially one who wore pink boots.

It didn't mean though that the visions didn't disturb him on some level. Other than the annoyance of their occurrences, the content left much to be desired. Despite his own disregard for the human race, he never saw the need to eliminate a human for taking the company of a youkai. It was their own business, he was simply above such things. Bokuseno did not lie either regarding the treatment of Mokuren by her villagers. Instead of finding strength through adversity, she succumbed to their pressures.

There was very little respect he felt toward her. But it didn't do the miko justice to be inhabited by such a weak being, no matter how strong the power surge. Strangely defiant, he didn't see the miko taking too well to the orders of Takeo. Nor did he see her willingly following the whims of selfish villagers.

Mind you, she also willingly followed Inuyasha, who in retrospect was probably not much better. She deserved more.

A new sense of admiration grew within him as he watched her sleep, her breaths slow and even, the cool night hair causing her cheeks to pinken slightly. How was it possible for her to put up with idiots day in and day out – both in her current life and Mokuren's life – and still maintain some semblance of normalcy? As normal as a girl who came from 500 years in the future could be. At any time she could have abandoned the cause and gone home, and probably wouldn't be worse for the wear. Instead she chose to stick it out, putting herself at risk, costing her own body for the sake of a soul she didn't know.

Why?

It was probably a question best left for morning he thought as he watched her curl further into the blankets to keep out cool air.

---

There were tears rolling down her cheeks, he noted as he watched her sleep. Feeling quite awake himself, he had decided to spend the night keeping watch over her, although he couldn't explain why. But there were tears, small silent ones that left trails down her cheek and fell to their destruction against her pillow.

Why was he so affected? He wondered as he reached out with a claw to catch one before it fell to the ground. There was no need to be fascinated, no need to want to help console her. They were unnecessary, they disgusted him.

Yet he was disturbed that she could be so strong one minute, and so weak the next. He wanted to shake her, tell her to stop. He continued to watch her, doing nothing.

It was his weakness, he noted almost with self-pity. Her tears were becoming his weakness and he didn't like it one bit. But he couldn't do anything to stop it either. He watched helplessly, unable to understand the feeling that was coming over him.

Was this Shion again? Or himself? It had to be the former as he would never be that weak.

Still…those tears.

---

_Torn, she looked between the village and the bushes, knowing her Shion was just out of sight waiting for her to visit. The village was thriving, having come into food, the shelters were strong and full, and for a change there was very little illness. She could sneak away unnoticed, and more than likely return to a village where they didn't miss her at all. She could spend an afternoon, free from worry in the arms of somebody who truly cared for her well being because he cared about her, not because he cared about the state of his home, or his family._

_But those youkai…_

_She shuddered at what could have happened, and what did happen. Power, like she had never imagined, power enough to set her free from the life she had now, it was a heady feeling knowing she didn't need the protection of her village any longer. But then her power was given to her because of her responsibility._

_And what about Shion who had chosen to neglect his people for her? How could she ask such a thing of him time and time again, especially when it was costing him more than he admitted? She couldn't do it, and would never dream of it. But it was so tempting, so easy to just get up and walk away. How many years had she dreamt of it?_

_Looking back at the bushes she saw his green eyes staring at her, impatiently. He was aware that she knew of his presence._

_For the first time, she turned her back on him and walked away, heading toward a group of the village children. A smile on her face, she gathered them close as she began to tell a story of two people, of tolerance, and most of all, of love._

_---_

"She's lonely," she finally spoke to him over the fire during the morning as she was preparing something to eat.

"Who is?"

She rolled her eyes. "Mokuren, who else would I be talking about? She's lonely. She has her villages, and she has Shion, but she's never felt more alone."

"Hn." He handed her the rabbit he had thought to pick up before she awoke. He wasn't sure why he felt compelled to hunt for her; perhaps it was the tears, the way they didn't belong in her eyes. For once, he _needed_ to do something to rid her of them.

He hunted for her, something he very rarely did for anybody other than himself. This disturbed him on an even deeper level than her tears, as this was a purely instinctive action.

"She turned away from him last night," she continued as she began to skin the animal, the moves practiced he noted. "She feels guilty about the attack."

The attack, the images from the attack on Mokuren and Shion's response to it mirrored his own. The vision that he had seen when the light intensified had given him much insight into the situation.

"It is not her fault," he stated matter of factly to clear the air, or so he told himself. It certainly wasn't to console her. "He was the one foolish enough to let his territory fall apart while he amused himself with her, his downfall was his own fault."

"It doesn't matter that you and he believes it was his fault, she feels that it's her own. I dreamt of her last night," she whispered. "Not just another vision, but a dream, vivid and intense. It was as if I were her, standing in the very spot she was, but my body wouldn't react to me. I was thinking _her _thoughts. She walked away from him."

"Because she felt guilty."

"Yes," she lay some strips of rabbit meat on the hot rocks in the fire pit so they would fry quickly. "She felt guilty that his kinsman lost somebody important to him, she felt like she was pulling him away from his duties, and duties are very important to her. They're probably at the core of her."

He sighed, trying to figure it all out, the puzzle playing on his intelligence and common sense. Two spirits, one demon, one priestess were killed before they were meant to die and have come back for a second chance. The demon lord wants her; she is turning herself away from him. The twists and turns in this scenario were more than enough to make him want to walk away from it all. Find a way to purge the spirit, even if it meant defiling himself with the miko, and walk away.

If that were to be the case, why did 'defiling' suddenly feel so wrong?

"What are you trying to figure out?" she asked him, bringing him out of his thoughts.

He shook his head and gestured to the nearly cooked meat. This conversation would be for another day, when there were no other options, when they knew they would both have to take the step they were working so hard to avoid.

He nearly snorted. It was becoming less likely he would get to do this his way. Closing his eyes for the time, he relaxed himself into a meditative state and he let it go for now.

---

_A ferocious growl echoed through the woods as he watched her turn her back on him. He was Shion, demon lord, nobody turned their back on him, and yet she did so, willingly. And he could do nothing but accept it._

_Ripping trees from their roots, his claws hacked and slashed their way through the forest as he made his way back to his domain. The problems weren't resolved yet, and now he had one more to add onto it. He wouldn't give up on either._

_He was going back to fix things, to show those who follow him who is lord, and to take off the heads of any who dared to follow the path of the rogue youkai from yesterday. Then he would be back._

_And by kami he would return and fix things here too. She could not stay away from him forever, he would not allow it. _

_More so, he knew, his heart would not allow it, nor would hers._

_---_

AN

Ah so I have most of chap 21 complete which means 1) you get your post tonight and 2) you should get a bonus post on Tuesday unless my muse completely dies on me tomorrow, which I don't think it will. I know where the chapter will end and I'd finish writing it now except I'm crashing so fast that I'll just mutilate it.

Thank you for all of your reviews! Have a fantastic weekend.

Disclaimer: See Chap One


	21. Confusion

"You're being very quiet," she poked Sesshoumaru as they settled in for the night, a day's walk away from meeting up with Inuyasha. He drove her in a grueling pace today, covering a large expanse of land, yet he refused to carry her to speed things up. She supposed it was only natural, being a demon lord and the what not. It was certainly not the most dignified way for a demon lord to travel, with a priestess on his back, but it would have certainly made things easier.

Yet she doubted he even considered it, especially as he made her trudge through the bog the other day.

Sighing, she decided to ignore him and leave him to his thoughts, before he got irritated with her poking and decided to do something about it, like lopping off her hand, or worse, her head for even thinking of committing such an act.

The problem was, the silence gave her time to think, and this was the one thing she didn't want to do as she'd been doing it too much already. About Shion, about Mokuren, about their past lives and her current one and what she would do if she were to be forever joined with the spirit. If only they could talk, she mused. The visions, the dreams, they gave her a clear picture into what life was like for them, their thought processes, their goals, dreams and beliefs, and most importantly, their love. She could feel a love so strong coursing through her sometimes it gave her pause.

But there were so many questions she wanted to ask them, questions she knew would never be answered in the visions or dreams. She knew Mokuren was afraid of Takeo. She had felt her nervousness around him. And she knew that while she loved the village children, and many of the women and men in her group, there was a hatred of her duty she felt ashamed about. A reluctant priestess. And any gaps she may have noted were filled in by Bokuseno's story and for the first time, she had a true picture of everything, his life, her life, their life and everything in between.

Her questions had nothing to do with any this though. It was simple. Why her? Why Sesshoumaru? Why them? Weren't there two people who were better suited for the role than the two of them? She was reluctant to give herself to a man, or demon, who harbored no feelings for her, and she knew he was reluctant, or she should say, adamant, regarding sleeping with a human. It was not happening.

So what would they say? 'Hey baby, wanna fuck?' It would defeat the purpose of their journey and they would still be at square one, unwilling to touch each other. She was thankful to them for one thing though.

Tolerance.

These two spirits had given them a lesson in tolerance beyond anything she had ever heard of before. They had taken a proud, human hating demon lord, and a priestess, said demon lord's mortal enemy, and made them friends. Their journey had bonded them together in a way she was sure would withhold any challenges brought forth by Inuyasha and his stubbornness and stupidity.

It had also taught her about love, and she was saddened to realize her feelings for the hanyou were nothing more than a slight crush. They were friends, best friends, she depended on his strength just as he depended on her acceptance of him. It made for a very easy relationship most of the time, but they were not the foundations required to further deepen that bond.

And she was okay with that, which only saddened her more. It was like a rite of passage, learning to get over your first love. They would always be friends, she knew, their experiences together alone having strengthened the invisible thread that tied them together, and she knew that no matter the circumstance, she would always be able to depend on him to help her though, and she would be there to help him get through his trials. But he would never be hers in the way she had wanted, and for the first time ever, she wasn't devastated at that thought.

Smiling, she relaxed in front of the fire. It suddenly felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She wasn't in love with Inuyasha. She loved him, and always would, but she no longer felt the need to shed tears over the many insensitive things he had done, or will do. It was liberating.

Which brought her to her next concern.

Sesshoumaru.

What was she going to do about him? She clearly trusted him, despite their rocky history, and she felt safe with him, knowing he would leap to help at moment's notice if she so needed it. He had proven as much the other day when he chased after her during her battle with the goose youkai. And the way he cared for her afterward … oh he didn't show as much but she saw it in his eyes, the way he gazed at her curiously afterward. It was the subtle signs she had learned to look for and read.

They made her feel curiously warm.

But it begged the question, were these her own thoughts? Her own emotions? Or were the two demons manipulating them into feeling something that wasn't there to reach their own end?

She didn't like manipulation, couldn't respect it, no matter the motive, and knew that even if they could speak with her, neither would admit to a thing. So how could she trust her feelings when she wasn't sure they were hers to begin with?

The situation was becoming very complicated, she noted. Bokuseno was right. The longer they were with them, the further entwined in the tale they would become until they wouldn't know where they ended and the new beings began.

She was already beginning to feel like that.

Looking back at her traveling companion, she sighed, knowing he would be of no help to her in figuring this out. He would only scoff at her, berate her for believing in such rubbish and owning up to such foolish emotions.

But still…the look in his eyes last night, they made her wonder.

---

He was doing it again, she noted, staring at her as if he were trying to figure something out. Yet he hadn't said a word all evening. He just stared at her quizzically.

She was going to snap if he didn't stop it soon. "Sit," she mumbled under her breath, more of a force of habit than an actual belief she could make him do it. A raised eyebrow in her direction indicated he had indeed heard her, and he was clearly amused.

"I'm beginning to wish you had a rosary," she challenged him. "Maybe then I could get you to talk. What's with the silent treatment? I told you yesterday all you had to do was ask and I would answer. There are no secrets between us right now, we can't afford them."

His eyebrow remained raised for several seconds more before his line of sight returned to the fire. She resisted the urge to growl. What didn't kill her would only make her stronger, she kept muttering to herself, unsure of how much longer she could stand his silent scrutiny. His face remained stoic the entire time, but his eyes, it felt as if they were searching her very soul.

Or perhaps it was Mokuren's soul he was searching for.

"You know, your silent treatment is getting to be tiresome," she moved toward her bag, pulling out what she needed for a bath. "I'm taking a bath since you obviously don't want to talk."

Before she could take her next breath she was slammed against something hard, sandwiched between a tree and the demon lord, his eyes focused intently on hers, a combination of gold and green. She could feel her fear rise a notch as she watched him fight for control over the demon spirit. Her hands were pinned above her head and she struggled to catch her breath and control her racing heart as he pressed closer, dropping his head to rest in the crook of her shoulder.

"Sesshoumaru?" she question as she tried to breathe deeply and steady herself.

A low growl was her only reply as she felt his fangs scrape against the skin of her neck, his tongue soothing the small nicks.

She could barely think let alone try to move as she became overwhelmed, the heat of him filling her senses.

What she wouldn't give for him to have his second arm, she thought in a moment of desperation as his mouth trailed down her collarbone. She wanted his hands on her, rubbing, stroking, running them over her igniting a fire in her like she had never felt before.

A hazy fog settled over her mind as she succumbed to the moment and the forces within her that allowed her to be carried away.

"Mine," she heard him growl as he let go of her hands to lift her shirt, scraping his claws along her abdomen in the process.

"Mine," she breathed back, barely recognizing her own voice as it deepened in hunger.

The butterflies in the pit of her stomach continued to flutter as he continued his assault. Lifting her legs, she wrapped them around his waist, pulling him closer as he continued to push her against the tree. Ignoring the bark that was biting into her flesh, she moaned and squirmed against him, using her own hands to open his haori.

"God," she nearly melted when she felt his hand slip under the elastic band of her panties and find its prize.

She stopped her own exploration when she felt his finger slide in her and his thumb continued to rub and stroke her. Her own nails dug into his shoulders as she fought to keep control.

He was relentless, single-minded in his intensity, and she thrived on it, wanted more. She wanted all of him.

Throwing her head back against the trunk of the tree she struggled to keep breathing and praised every kami she knew for not letting Inuyasha cut off both arms.

"Let it go," he growled at her as she fought the pressure. The combination of his hand, the huskiness of his voice and the reverberations from his growl she could still feel through her body, she lost it, as she held onto him with all her might, rocking against him and riding the wave.

"Sesshoumaru," she called out needing to vocalize everything she was feeling.

And his head snapped up, eyes no longer green were open wide and stunned. Immediately dropping her to the ground he turned and walked away. Dazed, she watched him leave.

What the hell had just happened was the only thought she had as she tried to control her racing heart.

---

"I apologize," she heard him mutter when she finally joined him next to the fire, having spent the last several minutes trying to pull herself together. "I was not myself."

She nodded, unable to look him in the eyes. She had no excuse for her wanton behaviour. "Shion." The statement was clear, to the point.

"Yes."

"You didn't fight him." Again, it was a statement. She knew when he fought the presence of the spirit, earlier was not one of those time.

He sighed, a sound she rarely heard from him. "Truth is, I wasn't aware he had come through until it was too late. When I had realized I was no longer in control, I was too caught up in the moment," he admitted.

Seeing the way he jaw was tensed, she knew it was not an easy thing for him to admit, this lack of control, lack of strength to stop the spirit. It was bothering her too.

"They're getting stronger," she commented as she felt Mokuren's inner strength grow. "We need to find a solution soon."

He sighed again before moving to kneel before her. "How much of Mokuren was acting through you earlier?"

She could feel herself blush from her roots to her toes when she thought of what had happened only moments ago. The question was a fair one, but not one she wished to answer.

The answer scared the hell out of her.

Mokuren hadn't even entered the picture. "Um, I don't know," she told him, hoping he wouldn't catch on. "I wasn't exactly able to think, but I'm sure she played a role. How could she not?"

He searched her a moment, and she knew he could probably see the blush rise to the surface of her skin. "Indeed, how could she not."

The flames of the fire flickered in front of her, bold, strong, everything she felt she wasn't at this moment. "What does this all mean? Am I going to have to worry about being overwhelmed by her each and every time we get close, or I go to take a bath? We had this problem when we tried to separate. How can we be together, yet apart?"

The tortured look on his face told her he didn't know the answer either. They were just going to have to keep strong and hope they could find a solution before the spirits found the solution for them. "Look," she said. "This is the first time we've had them rise to the surface like this for a while. Usually it's been dreams and visions. Maybe we'll get lucky and this will be the only time in the near future that this will happen."

And still she thought of the way her body writhed against his, hot, sweaty, flushed. The way his hand made her feel, the power she had willingly given over to him for that one brief moment in time when she felt that nothing else existed around her, just the sound of her own heart beating. And she thought of his fingers moving with ease, as if he had been meant to do that to her all alone.

"I'm going to bed," she announced, no longer wanting to discuss such an uneasy topic. "Maybe if we sleep on it tonight we'll feel better tomorrow." She slipped into her sleeping bag and curled upon her side. "Good night Sesshoumaru."

She heard the demon chuckle slightly as he sat next to the fire. 'God, what's going to happen next,' was her last thought before she succumbed to exhaustion.

---

AN

Lucky how these things work out. I particularly like this chapter and it's my birthday treat to you guys today :). Yes, I celebrate by giving to others, just ask my girls I volunteer with as I baked cupcakes to bring into them tonight.

Thank you to everybody who reviewed! They mean a lot to me and encourage me all the time

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: See Chap One


	22. The Point of No Return

Note: Violence, abuse, implied sexual assault at the end. I will mark the section with "" so you can skip over if you so choose. Sexual assault is not graphic, I refuse to write graphic assault, but nonetheless, the icky distaste of such an act is there. It is necessary to move the story forward though.

There is also an important AN at the end you should read.

_---_

_The feel of flesh and blood beneath his claws did nothing to quell the anger that was eating away at him. She had turned her back on him._

_Again._

_For days he watched her, followed her, attempted to make contact, and yet, each time she turned her back on him. He was not used to being ignored. It ate at him, chewed away at his gut until all he could feel was the resenting bitterness that came with not getting what you wanted._

_He needed to see her. _

_Turning her back on him was no longer an option. His growl echoed through the woods as he hunted the last of the known murderous traitors, spilling their blood upon the muddy ground. He felt a sick satisfaction in hearing their bones crack beneath his palm. He smiled knowing they could never conspire to harm her again. He could care less about what they thought of him as a leader as pack rules stated the strongest was the alpha, and he knew there was on one stronger than himself. But he would not stand for their talk of Mokuren. _

_The words 'human priestess whore' had somehow made it through the packs and had enraged him further, sending him on a killing spree. He would clean his packs; remove the hatred and that vile phrase from their tongues permanently._

_Dropping the carcasses to the ground, he took off to the west, in search of her village. She would not turn her back on him again._

_He swore it._

_---_

"He's angry," Sesshoumaru commented as he looked at the miko rolling her bedding.

"Who is?" she asked, only half paying attention.

He sighed, irritated at her disinterest. "Shion." He knew this caught her attention as he watched her head snap up and a startled look fill her eyes. "I had a dream last night, he was angry at the priestess for ignoring him."

She chuckled lightly. "I think it's a man thing. Most men I know get irritated if they're ignored. Inuyasha is especially bad."

Inuyasha, he thought with a frown. It bothered him that she would think of him, especially given the events of the previous evening. No, Inuyasha was perhaps the last name he wanted to hear at the moment. "You are digressing," he noted. "He is angry."

"I got that much, but I don't see why that has to do with anything." Kagome chewed her lip a little, an action that didn't go unnoticed by him. "Does it?"

"It is my belief that it was his anger that fueled my," he paused for a moment, "my reaction last night. I cannot explain to you why I behaved as I did, but I do believe the anger and resentment Shion felt toward Mokuren played a role in it."

It was her turn to sigh. "She has been ignoring him. I told you, she was lonely, but she feels the need to remain separate from him. I don't think she knows how angry it's making him though." Placing the sleeping bag back into her backpack, she looked at him. "Do you think we'll be able to meet up with Inuyasha today? He might have some needed answers."

Scowling again at the name, Sesshoumaru didn't bother standing up, and gestured her to leave her items as they were. "Inuyasha won't have the answers, so there is no point in meeting up with him. We will remain where we are."

"Huh?"

"We will remain here. There is nothing further Inuyasha or the others can do to help." His brother's name tasted bitter on his tongue, for a reason entirely different than what he would of thought. Yes, he was his hated half-brother, but that had nothing to do with his distaste.

The miko.

He glared at her as he realized what was going on. She was doing something to him, bewitching him in some way. Or perhaps it was Mokuren working with Shion against them. Regardless, for the first time in his life, he felt some sort of jealousy, and it was greatly disturbing.

"So," she sighed in resignation, as if she knew she wouldn't be able to change his mind. "What do we do until we figure this out?"

"We wait."

---

Boring.

That was the only word she could use at the moment to describe him. Sesshoumaru sat against a tree, meditating, and she had nothing to do having finished her book several hours ago. Apparently according to Sesshoumaru, sitting and waiting didn't include talking.

She was going nuts. She couldn't leave him in fear of the spirits acting up again, and yet she couldn't stay with him unless he compromised and shared a bit of himself.

"I used to have a dog," she stated suddenly and continued when she saw his eye crack open. Whether or not it was in interest or irritation, she didn't know, but she needed to continue anyway. "When I was five we had a dog, a Great Pyrenees, a dog from France."

"France?" he inquired, and she saw the keen interest in his eyes. Kagome had learned he had an insatiable thirst for knowledge on topics he didn't know anything about.

"Yeah, a country in Europe. It's quite a distance from Japan. Even at your speed it would probably take several weeks to travel there. But I digress. We had a Great Pyrenees dog when I was five years old. He was the sweetest thing, a gentle giant, unlike some dogs I know," she sent a sidelong glance his way.

"Your point?" he asked.

"There is no point. I was sitting here reminiscing and as long as I have nothing to do, we may as well get to know each other. The dog passed on a year before I fell down the well, but he was our loyal protector. He used to wait on the edge of the shrine property waiting for Souta and I to come home from school and then he would sleep in the hallway right in between our bedroom doors. There are days I still miss him."

He looked amused by her story and it heartened her. He obviously wasn't adamant about his silence.

"Ah-Un was gifted to me by my father," he said after a contemplative silence. "It was after my first battle with a youkai, out to destroy the great dog general's heir. My father didn't interfere, saying it was my fight and my fight alone. The only way I could prove myself worthy was by defeating those who challenged me. I nearly lost a limb that day, but after an hour of fighting, I managed to destroy the youkai. My father came home with Ah-Un the next day. He informed me I lacked discipline, and if am able to tame and train the beast, I'll have the discipline it takes to do better the next time."

"Did it work?" she asked, enthralled with the story.

"Ah-Un is loyal, is he not? The discipline comes from taking your time to do something right the first time, from being patient and from thinking things through. I learned to do all three in the years it took me to tame him. They are skills I take into every battle, which is why your hanyou will never be able to defeat me. He lacks all three skills."

Laughing, she moved to sit next to him, enjoying the camaraderie. "Inuyasha will never learn those skills. I don't think he wants to, but it's okay because he has the rest of us at his side and between the rest of us, we've got those three traits covered."

Kagome felt him stiffen next to her for a split second before he relaxed again. Something was bothering him, she realized. That was why he was meditating. It explained why he was quiet for the bulk of the day. "Hey, sometimes it's easier to figure things out if you have a second perspective," she offered.

"And sometimes it better if you think things through yourself," he countered easily.

"Seriously, I know you're troubled. Two heads are better than one, let me help. What are you thinking about?"

"The spirits and the best way of ridding ourselves of them. I have been going over all my dreams and visions. There is an answer other than the obvious one."

Leaning back against the tree she closed her eyes. If he could be so focused on finding a solution, then so could too, disturbing silence or not.

For the first time in a long time, she began to truly meditate.

---

_Mokuren nearly jumped when she heard the bushes rustling next to her. She had thought he was gone, having long ago given up when she kept turning her back on him. How wrong she was. He was angry, she knew. She could tell by the hardening in his eyes when he gazed upon her. It nearly broke her heart._

_Nearly, only because she was sure of what she was doing. She was confident that this was the right path. Following her heart in this case would only lead to destruction and a war. She would not be the root cause of a war. It went against the very essence of her soul._

"_Mokuren." _

_She heard a sneer and looked up to see Takeo heading her way, an angry look in his eyes that rivaled that of Shion's, if not surpassed it. Hardening her own eyes she met his, determined to stand up for herself once in her life. "You are not permitted to speak to me so informally," she acknowledged the lack of a suffix to her name. _

_Stars clouded her head though as a resounding slap echoed through the village, her cheek stinging from the impact. "I am lord and master of the village, I will call you what I deem worthy of you." _

_Her aura crackled as she felt Shion's youki rise to the surface in response to insult dealt to her. He was going to kill him, she realized if she didn't deal with Takeo right away. She straightened herself and walked away, knowing her village chief would follow in rage. She would suffer for it, but he would not be dead. It was a low price to pay for the life of another. She would not have blood spilled over her. _

_Walking into her hut, she braced herself for the impending battle. It would be a battle, she knew, not just a simple fight. She didn't miss the look in his eyes as she turned away. _

"_Bitch," he nearly growled as he walked in behind her. "You do not walk away from me unless I tell you to."_

_She glared at him, steeling her back. "I will walk away from whomever I please. I am not your servant. I am Mokuren, a priestess. I follow the will of the kamis, not yours."_

_to the end_

"_And the kamis gave me this position through my might and strength. You answer to me." She was thrown to the ground and landed on her hip, hard. She bit her lip to stifle the cry. She didn't say anything as he moved toward her. "I have been informed that you have been meeting a youkai in secret." He stood above her, looking down. "No man is good enough you have to go and find a youkai lover? Did you purposely intend to shame us?"_

_His foot was heavy as he pressed it against her chest, causing her to take deeper breaths in order to stay conscious. "They are merely peace relations," she lied. "He expressed wanting piece between humans and youkai. He just managed to stumble upon me, realized I was a priestess and thought people might listen to me."_

"_Lies," he shouted as he lifted his foot off her chest, before sitting next to her. She tried not to cringe as he ran his finger down her cheek, wiping the tears she didn't know she had in the process, before running it down to the swell of her breasts. "Poor Mokuren," he said softly, his eyes filled with an emotion that caused her stomach to turn in dread. She had seen it often enough when sitting with Shion. "You don't need to lie with a youkai for peace. Peace will never happen except through negotiations between male leaders. He was just using you." His eyes grew hard for a moment before he spat on face, showing her just what he thought of her actions. "I want to break you."_

"_I will never break," she vowed, determined to show some of her strength. She was not a weak woman. She was a priestess, blessed by the gods. If she could not survive Takeo's wrath, then she wasn't worth the honour the gods bestowed upon her. _

"_Everybody breaks," he said contemplatively, as he shifted himself to kneel between her legs, forcing her thighs apart in the process. "It's just a matter of how."_

_Her breath quickened as she felt the panic overcome her senses. She wanted to scream as he pulled the furs off her, but knew if she did, she would only cause a war. Shion would kill Takeo and she didn't know if she could handle his blood on her hands. But that didn't stop her from squirming as she fought to regain control, kicking her legs and willing her power to rise to the surface once again. _

"_Your youkai lover will never touch you again," he gritted as he forced himself into her. "You want a man, you come to me from now on."_

_----------------_

AN:

Okay, it has come to my attention (and very nicely I might add) by a reviewer who asked me about Shion and Mokuren, if I was borrowing them from another anime: Please Save My Earth. Being immediately concerned about this, I googled the anime and yes, in this anime there are two characters Mokuren, and Shion.

I need to state right off the bat – until this reviewer mentioned the anime, I had never heard of it, and therefore had never heard of Shion and Mokuren. My Shion and Mokuren were names given to me by the challenge-issuer of this story in her challenge.

So she was nice enough to send me a very detailed response to the comment (without me asking). Firstly, yes, they are characters in this anime, but their names are not trademarked like Inuyasha is. Mokuren and Shion are actually names of flowers. So their names are not exclusive to that anime.

Secondly, in this story, they are reincarnated into two new characters, Rin and Alice. There is no reincarnation in this fic, Kagome and Sesshoumaru have been possessed, not reincarnated. Big difference. After all, Kagome is the reincarnation (supposedly) of Kikyou.

Thirdly, Mokuren and Shion in this story are portrayed as a priestess and inu youkai. In the other anime, they are alien psychic scientists. Again, big difference lol.

Physical traits are different, personalities are different. Shion falls in love with Mokuren almost immediately here, in the other anime he hates her, rapes her, then falls in love with her.

But yes she did hear the names from Please Save My Earth…again, they are not trademarked and aren't exclusive to that anime. As it is they are only small side characters. The main characters are Rin and Alice, you just hear about the other two when you hear of their past.

She did pick them though because of their similarity to Sesshoumaru and Kagome. She says when you say them, they sound alike – Sesshoumaru and Kagome, Shion and Mokuren. That was her main reason for it.

This all being said, as I have stated, I have not watched this anime, although I did read a bit of it on Wikipedia when I felt some alarm over the names, and the rest of the info came from the challenge-issuer herself. So I'm launching my defensive right away in case somebody else sees this and aren't as nice as the original reviewer. I will also say right now that I will not watch this anime while I am writing this fic. Maybe several months down the road after it's finished, but despite my curiosity, I will stay away from it. The main reason for this is I don't want to start identifying Shion and Mokuren with the characters from Please Save My Earth.

They are completely different characters.

I hope this clears up any questions or concerns anybody may have.


	23. Cold

His first alert that something was wrong were her whimpers. If she were meditating, there was no reason as to why she should be whimpering the way she was, as if she were in excruciating pain yet trying to keep silent about it.

He narrowed his eyes.

She was shivering, and had tears trailing down her face.

Those blasted tears, he thought as they moved him to do something to rectify the situation. He held still for the moment though as he realized she could have simply fallen asleep and was having a nightmare. If that were the case, then it was her own damn fault and he wouldn't belittle himself, or his semi-serene state to help her.

But if this were a nightmare, why wasn't she waking up? Rin would be wide-awake by now.

A stirring could be felt within as he watched her thrash and cry. Anger, and something else. Something powerful. Without a second thought, he found himself reaching out to her, whether to wake her sooth her, he didn't know. What he did know was he needed to put a stop to it before it brought the spirit out again.

Oh he knew without a certainty the stirring belonged to the spirit, it was too angry, too raw to be coming from him, and it dawned on him that if Shion were reacting, then something had to be going on with Mokuren. The miko was safe, but what was she seeing to send her into such a state?

Immediately shaking her he felt her fall apart, the sobs causing her body to shake, her eyes to open wide in terror, but still unseen. Is this what they were going to do to them? The anger inside him increased tenfold as he looked upon her blank stare.

"Miko," he nearly shouted in an effort to wake her up, shaking her as she lay there staring at him, though not aware of his presence. Whatever was bothering her he knew to be terrifying. The scent of fear permeated the air like he had never known around her before. Even when she stood against him, after he doused her in his toxin did she never smell like this.

It disturbed more than the spirit within.

Pulling her close to him, there was nothing he could do until she woke, but he swore he would protect her from the storm that would follow.

After what felt like hours, though he knew better, he felt her breathing even out and eventually calm down. But her eyes didn't open, so the question was if she just fell asleep and was dreaming, or if she was overcome while meditating. He didn't have the answer to either of these questions, and knew he wouldn't be able to find out until she decided to wake up.

"Hurts," she murmured as she turned in his arms, her face contorting into a grimace.

Looking her over, he noticed she didn't have any visible injuries. Was it all in her head? What were the spirits doing? It was taking all of his energy as it was to keep the spirit within him tame. The rage he felt…

It was like nothing he had ever felt before. He felt rage at his mother's death, and rage when he had learned of Inuyasha's birth.

Then there was the rage that overcame him at his father's death.

But all of these paled in comparison to what was stirring within him now.

"Miko," he attempted to shake her once more until he saw her grimace worsen.

"Stop," she muttered as she slowly opened her eyes. To him it appeared as if she were struggling, like it was swollen shut. "Sessshoumaru?" Her eyes, once glazed cleared up as she focused on him.

Unbidden, a sense of relief hit him like a ton of bricks, and for once he didn't worry why. She was safe at the moment. That was the only thing running through his mind at the moment.

---

"He's a bad man," she whispered as she brought her knees close to her chest and wrapped her sleeping bag around her tighter. Despite the downy filling of the sleeping bag and the heat emanating from the fire, she felt cold.

Too cold.

Sesshoumaru sat across from her, unwavering in his intensity as he stared at her. "Takeo."

"Who else," she laughed, humourlessly. "Everything he did, everything she felt, she made sure I felt some of it too. Isn't it funny how he could kick her ribs so hard he broke them, and I could feel it happen too, the pain, and yet, mine are still intact. My ribs are in one piece and they still hurt."

"Hn."

"And then let's not forget the assault. Thankfully she has some compassion and I have no lingering feeling in my body regarding that, but the images are something I'll never forget."

His eyes hardened as she spoke of the sensitive subject, and she felt oddly heartened that he would react to it. Until now she was just some useless human at his side, but now … she wasn't sure. He wouldn't this way if he didn't care for her just a little.

"How much?" he asked.

"Nothing. I could feel every kick, punch and slap throughout. She made sure of that. But as for the actual invasion, I felt nothing. I only saw."

"It is enough."

And he understood too, which surprised her even more. Most women didn't understand unless they went through it themselves, and men? She had always thought they were a hopeless cause. Inuyasha would have run at the first mention of this particular topic. But Sesshoumaru, she didn't doubt once that he did understand. He was a demon of few words, and those that he did say held a world of importance to them.

He would not empathize with her lightly. Quietly, he handed her a cup of warm tea he had recently boiled and the smell of the herbs he used soothed her rattled nerves. She wouldn't sleep tonight, the images were too fresh in her mind, but that didn't mean she couldn't relax a little. "She's too strong, I can't control her anymore," she confessed as she brought the cup to her lips.

"There is little we can do at the moment," he explained. "I must admit it is becoming increasingly difficult to subvert the spirit, yet it must be done."

"I can't do it anymore." She tried not to try and willed herself to stay calm, willed away the tears gathering in her eyes. "I can't fight her anymore, and I can't live with her in me. I never want to see what I just saw again, and I'm afraid I might if we don't do anything soon."

"You're saying it has happened more than once?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "I don't want to know. I don't care how it has to happen, but we need to be finished with this now."

She could see his amber eyes searching hers, but they didn't hold the answer she wanted to hear. He refused to say anything and moved toward the wall, leaning back and closing his eyes.

He didn't say no either, she realized as he went into a deep meditative state. The great and almighty Sesshoumaru was considering the request of a mortal woman.

---

_Red._

_He was blinded by it, sheer rage that flowed through every crevice of his body. He was overcome. The scent of him filled the little hut, the scent of his crime was overpowering. Vengeance, he vowed, would be his one day. The animal in him would accept nothing less._

_He watched her though as she slipped from her hut, head down to hide the blood from everybody else. There was nothing she could hide from him, and he added mentally added this to Takeo's list of crimes._

_An eye for an eye._

_The credo was beginning to sound more and more appropriate right now. He could see Takeo off in the distance crowing to his friends, he could hear every word, though he didn't name Mokuren as the young lady receiving his attentions. It would ruin the ruse he had so cleverly created years ago when he became leader. _

_Growling, he left the bastard to his warrior friends and took off after his beloved. Takeo would die, slowly, painfully, and without honour, but he couldn't be his main concern at the moment._

_She was hurting._

_The brave face she had worn on her way to the river had crumbled by the time he arrived and his heart cracked as he saw her laying on the bank, broken and sobbing. He was itching to sink his claws into Takeo and remove a piece of his anatomy slowly, and painfully._

_Standing before her, he looked down at her, his eyes softening as he took in her form. Despite her torn clothing, the bruises and the blood, she still looked beautiful to him. She was Mokuren, the only one who would ever complete him._

"_Go away," she whispered, without looking up. _

"_I am the cause of this," he murmured as he crouched next to her. "I was clumsy and had allowed us to be seen."_

"_No, Takeo is the cause of this, his own jealousies." She still didn't look at him, something that disturbed him greatly. Her tone filled with bitterness. "I should have known this was coming, the way he would watch me, and the way he kept the other men away."_

"_You are not dirty," he said as he lifted her into his arms. "I know you may think so, but you are not. If it is his fault, then he is the dirty one, to allow such perversions rise to the surface."_

"_This is why we can't be together."_

_Scoffing, he pulled her closer to him and stepped into the water. He needed the physical contact almost as much as she did. "The only two beings who can say we shouldn't be together is you and I. The others will just have to figure out a way to deal with it."_

_She shook her head, knowing her words were futile. He was stubborn, and he would always be stubborn. It was one of the traits that she had grown to love. It would take a lot for him to give upon something he wanted. If such a feat were possible. "I don't see a happy ending for us any time soon. If you continue to visit, it's just going to cause trouble with my people. Takeo came after me once. I don't want him coming after me again."_

"_He won't," Shion vowed. "Takeo is as good as dead."_

"_No!"_

_Her vehemence startled him. "You would rather he live after what he did to you?"_

"_No, if I could, I'd kill him myself, very slowly and painfully. But goes against the very thing I'm supposed to stand for. And if you kill him, there will never be hope for peace between our people."_

"_Our union would bring hope for peace."_

"_No, our union would destroy peace," Mokuren countered. "Don't you see, there would always be those like Takeo who would fight against such a thing. And then you would react and fight back, and so would your pack. It wouldn't end, it would just continue in an endless cycle."_

"_So, let me kill him. It would not be you dealing the blow, it would have nothing to do with you. I have already slaughtered thousands over the years, what's one more?"_

"_It's one more too many. It's just another way to perpetuate the cycle. You kill him, his supporters start hunting youkai in revenge. Youkai who are affected by these men start hunting them. People in other villages hear of the slaughter of humans by youkai and think there's a war going on. Within several moons there would be a full scale war. And it would start because of you and me." Her voice held a desperation he had never heard before. He held her tighter, afraid to let go._

_Something told him if he let go at this time, he would never have a moment with her again. "All right," he conceded, knowing which battle to fight, and which to let her have her way. "All right. If you feel so strongly about this, I'll leave the bastard alone." The thought made his blood fester, but he knew his time would come, and he would take great delight when it did. _

_But it didn't need to happen today._

"_Good. I intend to forget about this," she informed him. "He can use my body all he wants, it is only just that, a body. He will only win if he breaks me, and that is something I will never let happen." Her voice grew cold, hard, as she voiced that final thought. _

"_One day, the time will be right and we'll be together," he assured her. "Until that time, I'll steal whatever time I can to be with you."_

_She smiled at the thought, but she didn't dare hope._

_---_

Snapping back to reality, he observed the miko lying in her blanket, curled up tight. Her knees were still pulled tight against her, as if she were trying to protect herself. She was never in any physical harm herself, he knew, but that didn't stop the spirits from harming her emotionally, as they did tonight.

Looking upon her now, hearing Shion's thoughts running through his head, and knowing the dishonour she had experienced only hours before, there wasn't much choice in what he had to do.

Cursing inwardly, he stalked toward her.

He was going to give the spirits their second chance and be rid of them for good.

---

AN

Have a good Sunday. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out next weekend, but I'll tell you now there's no guarantees as it's an extremely difficult chapter to write. I have started it, but it seems to be slow going.

Happy Halloween (on Wed lol)

Disclaimer: See Chap One.


	24. Don't Fight It

lemon near the end. You have fair warning. It starts with the _warm_ and goes to the en of the chapter minus the very last paragraph

---

She was still so cold, no matter how close to the fire she got, or how many blankets she used to cover herself. It was a perpetual cold. She wasn't sure if she could ever warm herself again.

Everything was quiet as she saw Sesshoumaru meditating. There was turmoil within him. She felt it more than saw it although he couldn't hide the tense stance of his back from her. Not anymore anyway. After days of seclusion with him it took very little effort to read his body language. Even less effort to read the emotion in his eyes. The gold that used to say so little now told her so much

But she couldn't tell what he was thinking of at this moment. She only knew that it couldn't be good.

Thinking back to her earlier words to him though, she began to second-guess herself. The images were fresh in her mind, could she really go through with it? Could she sit there and subject herself to an act that she had witnessed in violence? Putting that thought aside, how about subjecting herself to the act knowing that her partner didn't care about her. She wasn't the type of girl who could emotionally separate herself from a bed partner.

It was all or nothing.

Especially since she knew that if he consented to it too, he would be giving it his all as well. Sesshoumaru never did anything halfway. It was one of the traits she respected the most about him. That, and his honest. He hadn't been anything but forthright from day one regarding his thoughts on the two spirits. He had openly shared all of his dreams, visions and experiences about Shion. For an emotionally constipated demon, well according to Inuyasha anyway, he sure enough had enough of them.

You just needed to see through the mask to see them.

But this didn't tell her anything about what his decision would be. For the umpteenth time since this whole ordeal began, she wished she could speak to Mokuren. At this point though, instead of asking why she was chosen, all she wanted to know was why she had to watch Takeo that day.

She didn't need to see it to feel pity, or to understand the spirit's ordeal, but having watched the event, she couldn't help but feel manipulated. Perhaps that's what pissed her off the most. She would have helped her before, but now, she just wanted the spirit gone from her body for her own sanity, not for Mokuren's heart.

Right now, she could care less about Mokuren's heart. However, Shion was a different story. He hasn't shown any signs of manipulation in this fiasco yet. It didn't mean he was innocent, but she sensed there was something else about him that kept him honest. Perhaps he had Sesshoumaru's sense of honour.

Perhaps he was innocent, and truly didn't believe in manipulation.

It was so difficult to tell when she was having trouble separating her own emotions from the spirits.

Edging closer to the fire, she steeled herself for what was to come. She could see Sesshoumaru awaken from his thoughts. She could only hope he would help put an end to the ordeal.

---

Remorse.

Remorse and confusion. With a touch of anger.

He could see it all in the large brown eyes that reflected the firelight. She was huddled beneath her blankets, as if she were trying to keep the demons away. Or in this case the spirits. It was pitiful protection from something that seemed unstoppable, but if it made her feel safer for even a moment, he wouldn't begrudge her for her choice.

He was disturbed by the entire situation. Whereas he never fully accepted the spirits to begin with, the latest turn was downright nasty and vindictive. One would think one would hold care for the host if it meant it got them what they wanted in the end. Such was not the case tonight.

It angered him. Rape was never something he could stomach. It was beyond dishonourable. It was black. It was the only way he could think of the topic. It was black deep down right to the core of it.

Yet it touched her without actually touching her. It somehow made it worse. Moving next to her, instinctively he placed a clawed hand on her leg, and was inwardly pleased when she didn't stiffen at the contact. Comfort was not his strong suit. Yet for, he would offer it as best he could.

"My mother was buried not yet two days before my father stole away into the night with Izayoi," he confessed to her, in the spirit of their earlier conversation. He knew what had to be done, but it wouldn't help if she wasn't at ease with him.

Her eyes widened at his sudden comment, before they softened slightly. "Which is why you harbor a grudge against Inuyasha."

"One of many reasons," he explained, but he didn't further elaborate. She didn't need to know all the reasons he despised his half-brother. She wouldn't want to hear them either.

"My father ran off with another woman, leaving my mother broke and pregnant with my brother. It was the reason we moved into the shrine with my grandfather. She never talks about it, but I think it was better for her. She's happy now."

"How old were you?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"I was six. He didn't treat her right. I think she was going to leave him until she became pregnant again. Do you miss your father?" she asked him.

"There is nothing to miss. He was not a father. He was a leader, he trained me to lead as well, but there was no affection between us." His eyes narrowed as he thought of their last confrontation. "My goal was to become strong enough to destroy him. I was angered to be robbed of the chance. That is perhaps my only regret."

"That's sad. Everybody deserves a father that loves them. Despite his faults, mine still loved me. He didn't need to love my mother to love me. I spent several years hating him for what he did, for making my mother cry. I was never able to amends before he died of a heart attack. That is perhaps my only regret."

The silence echoed throughout the camp, interrupted only by the crackling pop of the burning wood in the fire. The air was heavy with thoughts he knew, as they both contemplated each other's words.

"We both have regrets regarding our fathers," she mused, a half-smile flitting across her face. It seemed to have lightened everything in that one moment. "Isn't that something."

"Indeed it is," he agreed.

---

_Warm_.

Despite the chill that had filled her earlier, she was warm as she slowly awoke from her slumber. Dreamily, she lifted her hand, searching for the source of the heat.

_Hard_.

Her body felt as if it were being set on fire as she felt something wet trailing along her neck. Lifting her head to look up, she was held in place, as an arm kept her pinned to the ground. Opening her eyes, she peered into the darkness to see a curtain of silver surrounding her. "Sesshoumaru?" she queried, certain she was confused.

"Shh.." he whispered as he allowed his hand to trail down her front, lightly tearing the buttons off her pajama shirt. "Just go with it. Follow my lead. All will be well."

Closing her eyes, she succumbed to his will, allowing the heat to take over.

Nervous anticipation filled her as his hand opened her shirt. Lightly, his hand ran over her stomach, claws scraping the soft skin of her abdomen. It felt like butterflies were fluttering beneath his touch and she hissed as his the heat of his mouth covered her breast.

"God," she muttered, feeling she like she was melting on the spot.

This was Sesshoumaru, acting of his own free will. He initiated the act, he wanted to do this. There was no coercion involved. It was a heady feeling knowing that he could make her body hum the way it was without interference from the spirits.

"Don't fight it," he murmured against her breast, before moving lower. The aura was increasing around him, almost glowing, the power pouring off him in waves.

And yet she wasn't frightened of it. Instead, she welcomed it as she felt her own begin to rise to the surface to match his.

Mokuren and Shion.

She could feel them on the edge of it all, mixing and mingling with her and Sesshoumaru, and while she should have resented their appearance, it was a reassuring sight.

Gasping, the mild butterflies disappeared as an intense quivering began. Looking down she was captivated by the gold eyes, tinged slightly with green as they bore into hers, his mouth doing something to her, completely inexplicable, so shocking it bordered on sin.

Unknowingly her hands moved to grab his hair, fisting it in her hands as she was taken to planes she never knew existed.

"Sesshoumaru," she moaned as she came down from her high. Looking at her hands wrapped in silver, she noticed they glowed. A bright white light surrounded her whole body, causing her to shimmer.

"Don't fight it," he repeated again as he moved to cover her. Unfisting her hand she lay it on her chest, noticing for the first time that night he wasn't wearing any clothes.

"Wow," she murmured, as the muscles beneath the skin flexed under her touch. Emboldened by his groan she used her other hand to trace the markings on his abdomen. Fascinated by the magenta stripes wrapping around his hips, she followed them, letting her hand roam lower and lower.

A deep growl reverberated through his chest, and her eyes widened as she felt it vibrate through her. Her hand was ripped away from his body as he held over her head, his eyes now a feral red.

"Don't fight it," she repeated his words back to him as she felt him hold back. Lifting her body against him in an open invitation, she brought his head down to hers for the first time that night, letting her lips touch his.

Tensing as she felt him move against her, slowly slipping inside, she forced herself to relax. But she couldn't help the whimper that escaped her as he broke though and firmly planted himself deep within her.

He held still for a moment, letting her adjust as she tried to breath. _Don't fight it_, she told herself.

"Trust me," he whispered to her, his deep voice resonating through her as he began to slowly move. His mouth hovered above her neck, nipping and licking as his hand slid under her hips, lifting her to meet him thrust for thrust.

Slowly at first, then faster as her moans encouraged him to take it up another level. Her mewling cries echoed through the night, louder and louder. She had to shield her eyes against the bright glow surrounding her, and despite the fact that she could no longer see Sesshoumaru in front of her, she knew he was there, experiencing the same things as her. She could tell by the hitching of his breath, the way he would groan as she clenched herself around him.

Feeling Mokuren rise to the surface, watching Shion rise up, she knew this was right. However they got to this point didn't matter anymore. What mattered was now, this one single moment as everything came to an increasing crescendo. Unable to stop herself, she flung herself over the edge, held onto Sesshoumaru to keep her grounded and let go.

---

Opening her eyes, she looked up into the skies and saw the swirling lights of pink and white as they made their way into the stars. Sighing, knowing she was finally free, she curled into her demon for the night, and closed her eyes. They would deal with the ramifications of tonight tomorrow.

AN

Yay, it's one! This was one doozy of a chapter to write, and seeing as the weekend isn't over yet, I met my deadline!!

I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: See Chapter One


	25. Alone

Slipping out of her bedding, she glanced at her sleeping bedmate, surprised she hadn't roused him with her movements. But then last night was also exhausting, both physically and mentally. Taking a moment to catch her bearings, she bent down to retriever her bathing supplies, and for the first time since the whole ordeal began, she felt free to bathe in peace.

She felt free period. She had almost grown used to the weight of Mokuren, the way the spirits powers and aura mixed with her own. Almost. But now, it was as if somebody lifted the world off her shoulders and walked away with it. And despite the soreness she felt from yesterday's activities, she felt rejuvenated, brand new and raring to go.

Glancing down at her bedding one last time, she felt a blush rise as one of Sesshoumaru's bare legs peaked through the blankets. Swallowing audibly, she turned and ran to the hot spring, refusing to spend her waking hours trying to figure out how to deal with all of this.

But how was she supposed to deal with it? Despite her reluctance to face the situation, she knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to. They had both been reluctant and unwilling, in that neither of them would have done what they did if they had any other choice. Part of her had hoped that the spirits within them would rise and take over, like they had so many other times, leaving her own mind blank and empty.

And part of her was glad that she could remember everything. For her first time, it was, well, beautiful. Sighing she sank deep in the hot spring so it was only her head peaking out of the water. There was no denying what had happened and how he had made her feel.

Cherished.

That was perhaps the best word to describe it all. It wasn't love. There would be no need to feel love, but, Sesshoumaru made her feel cherished, made her feel like she wasn't wasting her first time on something that needed to be done. Was it intentional on his part? Or was it a subconscious move? The demon lord continually surprised her as he showed her a tenderness and gentleness she had never expected in him. And the fact that he spent the night next to her? She didn't know what to make of that. How was she supposed to act around him when she returned to camp?

Smiling again though, she looked up into the sky, remembering what it felt like to set the spirits free, and silently, she wished them both luck. While she was not fond of Mokuren, or the way she was manipulated, now that she was free, she could appreciate the spirit's efforts. They wanted their second chance. It was nothing more than that.

Would she get her second chance though? Would she get a first chance at love? Inuyasha…well, while she could never look at him and feel that sort of love again, she knew he would react harshly to her actions last night. He viewed her as his, and until recently, she hadn't minded one bit. Would he completely turn his back on her though? She had slept with his brother, but not only his brother, his enemy. There was no denying the hatred they felt toward each other and she knew it could very well play a role in her future in the group.

And Sango and Miroku? She hoped they would understand, though Sango tended to be more conservative about these things. She was also a girl of these times, though, and she would expect nothing less from her.

All of these thoughts and more ran through her head as she scrubbed the shampoo into her hair, before dipping it back into the water.

'Where do I fit now?'

Whatever possessed him to feign sleep when she left, he didn't know, for the same reason he didn't know why he stayed by her side all night. She confused him. This thought alone was enough to wake him up fully. Sesshoumaru could no longer claim it was the spirit of Shion that caused the confusion, this time it as all him. And this disturbed him more than anything.

Watching the miko return to camp, he nearly smirked as she faltered upon seeing him. He was obviously not the only one affected this morning, though he was a little more disciplined and wouldn't let it show. The question, though, was why was he affected? The spirits were gone, any emotion they felt should have left with them. Was there the possibility of residual emotions? Could it be he was so used to feeling something he just needed to compensate on his own?

"Breakfast?" she asked as she watched him start the small fire. Force of habit, was all, when he realized what he was doing. Surely he would never intentionally help the miko out.

"We will return to Inuyasha tonight," he stated authoritatively. "Following this, our alliance will be broken."

He couldn't miss the shock that tore across her face, the way her eyes fell downcast. She almost became…

"Okay," she whispered.

…Submissive. She was silent but that didn't mean he couldn't read her. Her eyes alone was a window to her thoughts and emotions. One glance told him everything he needed to know. She was devastated. The dog in him wanted to howl in victory with glee. Somehow he had managed to force the miko to submit to him, acknowledge herself as part of his pack, and become dependent on his presence. To do that to such a strong-willed creature was always a heady experience, though he never doubted himself.

It just happened that he didn't intend to do it this time. So this left him with a decision to make. Should he keep her around as member of his pack? After all, whether or not she knew it, she just acknowledged him as her alpha. Or should he return her to Inuyasha and let her suffer knowing a piece of herself was missing.

Forcing himself to stifle a grin, he thought to last night again, and the drive to possess the miko. Certainly it was Shion who held influence over him, but that didn't stop him from remembering the way she felt around him, how she gripped onto him for dear life, the small noises she made at the back of throat as she mewled her pleasure. She wasn't a screamer, which ultimately pleased him. Too many women screamed entirely too loudly, ruining the moment for him.

But last night…

If he allowed himself to call it anything, he would have called her perfect.

But he was much too pragmatic for that. Too much of a realist.

While it couldn't be defined as a fuck, as emotions were involved, though they didn't belong to either of them, it wasn't love either. It was sex, plain and simple. A means to an end. Glancing at her cleaning the camp up, he could see the faint blush that still graced her cheeks. "Come," he ordered, wanting to get a move on with things.

The sooner he left her with his brother, the sooner things would get back to normal.

"Don't you care?" she asked as she struggled to keep behind him. His pace was unrelenting as they trekked through one of the many forests. Her legs were no match for his longer ones, and his superior strength.

"No miko, I do not." He offered up in return, the monotonous tone of voice grating on her nerves. Surely, she thought, surely he must care somewhere, no matter how much he denies it. Nobody acts the way he did last night without feeling something. It was inhuman.

"It was merely an act, miko. I suggest you remember that."

Resisting the urge to growl she continued to plod forward. She wanted to hit him. Just stop him and pummel him until he stopped with the lies. Yes, she knew it was a necessary act, and yes, she knew there was no love between them, but would it be asking so much for him to admit that it meant something to him nonetheless? It meant something to her. Forcing back the tears, she knew, it meant a great deal to her.

"They are gone, we have achieved what we came to do. There is nothing more to discuss," he said, his tone filled with finality. "I suggest you focus on what you plan on telling your hanyou. He will not be pleased to hear of this, though it is none of my concern."

Sighing, she dropped it, knowing he was right. They took off on their own looking for answers, they found them, and they rid themselves of the spirits, end of story. So why did she suddenly feel so empty? Watching him walk ahead of her, silver hair swaying with each step, the occasional strand blown wayward due to a brief gust of wind, she had to wonder…

Why didn't it feel over?

For the first time all day, she smiled as she saw the young kit dart off Miroku's shoulder and run in her direction.

"Kagome!"

Ignoring everybody else for the time being, most especially the demon lord who insisted on occupying her thoughts she dropped her bag and met up with Shippou halfway. Lord, she didn't know how much she missed the group until now. "Hey guys," she waved as she got closer.

"All is well?" Miroku asked as he approached her and Sesshoumaru.

"Yeah, we have good news."

"So do we," Inuyasha snuck up behind her. There was something in his eyes that caused her to be instantly wary. "Now guys!" he shouted and she covered her eyes as she felt something similar to dirt hit her in the face.

"Hey!" she cried out, catching some of the grit in her mouth. It came at her from all sides, Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, what the hell were they throwing at her? "SIT!" she screamed before turning on the other two. "Will you knock it off, what he hell do you think you're doing?"

"Excuse me, Lady Kagome," Miroku began, bowing low. This did not appease her temper though. "Souta had passed on some information about exercising demons and we thought we'd try it."

Seething, she glanced at her companion to see his gold eyes mildly amused, his hand flicking some of the grit off his armor. "What did Souta tell you to throw on us?" she questioned, fighting to keep her anger in check.

"Salt." Inuyasha managed to say as he tried to pull himself off. "He told us to throw salt on you."

"And since when do you ever listen to Souta about these things? I asked for plausible answers. Obviously salt wouldn't have worked or they would have been expelled during the first bath." Taking a deep breath she ran her fingers through her hair, scowling as she felt more of the salt against her scalp. "Now I have to go and take another bath."

"Geez, Kagome," Inuyasha muttered as he stood and joined the rest of the group. "We were only trying to help."

"Next time, use your brains before you decide to help." She whirled on Miroku. "And you should have been able to sense the change with your spiritual energy before thinking about throwing salt on us."

Watching him study her, he saw his eyes widen as he realized what she was trying to say. "They're gone?" he queried, satisfied at the nod he received in return. "How?"

Blushing she turned to pick up her knapsack. "Doesn't matter," she mumbled, not once looking at Sesshoumaru. "I'm taking a bath."

Before leaving the clearing she turned to say goodbye to her traveling companion, only to notice that at some point in the last few minutes he left.

Typical Sesshoumaru, she mused somewhat fondly. She should have known he would have gone his own way when he could. Looking back at the others the questions they asked her went in one ear and out the other.

So why did she suddenly feel so alone?

AN

Eh, so Sesshoumaru gets to be an ass in here lol, things will get better, I promise!

I want to thank everybody who reviewed and to thank everybody for their patience during my absence. Things are clearing up here, I am already feeling 90 stress free thank goodness. Things should be getting back to normal now.

I do have a few people to thank. This story was nominated for Best Canon for IYFG third quarter, so I want to thank Jenn for the nomination and Sesshysjadedsamuri for the second. It is an honour just being nominated, nevermind making the ballot, so thank you.

I hope everybody who celebrated thanksgiving yesterday had a wonderful day. Mine was back in October as per Canadian thanksgiving…which is just as well as we had freezing rain and it didn't make for such a nice day to go trekking to family…it was a stay indoors in your own place type day. But I got a lot of writing done ;)

Happy reading!

Disclaimer, see chapter one


	26. The Difference Between Love and Lust

Wandering through the woods in search of Rin and Jaken, for once, Sesshoumaru felt lost. Everything seemed a little bit too quiet without the constant chatter of the miko, and no matter how much it annoyed him, he found himself missing it. Perhaps it was because she reminded him of Rin and the way she would endlessly talk about nothing, or sing her little songs. But at the moment, neither of them were around and he was quite alone.

Was this a result of becoming close with her? But if it was, why hadn't he felt this way with other partners? This was not his first foray into sex, and he knew it would not be his last. However, it was his first foray with a human, and it made him wonder if this was what his father felt like after sleeping with Izayoi. Perhaps it was a human trait that made demons want them more.

And he certainly wasn't denying that. No matter how he justified the action, he wanted more. Almost immediately after the first time he wanted to slip into her again and cause her to scream, this time for him, and not because the spirits willed it so. To walk away from her just now, he had to admit, was difficult. Somehow over the last little while, he had grown fond of her, and despite his words to her earlier, he knew he would never intentionally hurt her. While he may remain at odds with his brother, the miko would be a friend.

A friend with pink boots, he nearly chuckled. Why was it the sight of her wearing something so ostentatious and outrageous amusing to him? With anybody else it would have been disgraceful, and yet, they suited her. Much like the colour of the boots, her personality was always cheerful, and like the rubber, which kept out the moisture, her mind was practical. There were moments when he wondered about her sanity, and yet others, she portrayed an intelligence he rarely saw in other females. She seemed almost worldly in her knowledge.

Perhaps oddest of all though was the way she made him open up. Some of the things he told her were things he had never mentioned to anybody before. Most certainly not how he felt regarding his father and his antics growing up. Despite the presence of the spirits, something told him this bonding was between the two of them. The spirits had their history, they didn't need to add to it.

Coming upon a familiar fork in the road, he realized he had a decision to make. He could go left and return to his own pack, and live the rest of his existence has he had been. Or he could go right and figure things out. Bokuseno, he knew, was to the right, and would provide a world of insight into his thoughts and feelings at the moment, as the tree demon usually did.

His father's friend and comrade had turned into one of his own as well, and he usually looked forward to the discussions they had whether it be strategy, politics, or whatever topic was on the wind that day. But rarely did he ever discuss himself. Perhaps it was time to change all that. Surely, nobody knew him better than a demon who had watched him grow from a pup to the lord he was today.

And so he stood at this fork, glancing down one path, and then the other contemplating the places each path would take him, knowing only one of them would be the right way.

Feeling the wind blow around him, he weighed his options, and made his decision.

---

It amused her sometimes to see other people's nervous habits. Miroku fiddled with the rosary around his hand, Inuyasha's ears would flick from left to right, and Sango did what all women did when they were nervous or irritated; she paced. Her own nervous habit? Well it could be one of several things. At this point though she would give anything for a clicker pen so she could click it on and off several times in a row. The way they were all just staring at her made the need almost dire.

"You haven't told us the whole story," Inuyasha accused when she finished telling her tale, minus a few important details. She was _not_ going to tell him she had to sleep with Sesshoumaru in order to rid themselves of Shion and Mokuren. Upon their return, he had noticed their intermingled scents, but thankfully he had chalked it up to them spending a great deal of time together. He was also aware of the situations the spirits had put them in several times.

But still, she knew he would freak out. Sighing, she looked away, trying to figure out a way to tactfully let him know all was well, without giving him any details. Inuyasha was, well he was Inuyasha, and he had a possessive streak that was reminiscent of most alpha dogs when it came to their pack. It wouldn't matter who the man was, and what the reason was, and his personal feelings toward her certainly wouldn't matter, whether they were platonic or more, she belonged to him and he would hunt anybody dared to touch her without his permission down. "You know all you need to know. There are things I'm not going to share because I don't want to remember," she said, her words trailing off in a whisper.

"Did he force you?" the hanyou growled.

"What?" she looked up in surprise, knowing he was talking about Sesshoumaru.

"Did he fucking well force you?" he asked again. "I'll hunt him down and make pay Kagome if he touched you in any way that was unwelcome."

Blushing, she looked him in the eye so he made certain she wasn't lying. "No. Sesshoumaru didn't touch me in any way that was unwelcome."

"Keh." Inuyasha leapt into a nearby tree and settled in for the night, ready to keep watch.

"Kagome?" Sango moved toward her and handed her a dish of the stew she had prepared earlier in the day. Smiling at her, Kagome shook her head. Leave it to Sango to be able to figure things out. Women always had a knack of knowing when something was wrong.

"It's all right, Sango, I'm just tired. It's been an emotionally exhausting day."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Looking off in the distance where she knew the hot spring would be, she nodded, before taking a bite of the stew. There were some things she couldn't tell Inuyasha, but she knew Sango would listen, and she knew she wouldn't judge.

---

"A second chance?" Sango asked, somewhat shocked at what she had just heard. "That's why they came back? They wanted a second chance? How would you give spirits a second chance?"

"Shhh…not so loud," Kagome clamped her hand over Sango's mouth, tight enough to muffle the sound, but not nearly hard enough to suffocate her. "Miroku and Inuyasha could be around the bend and they don't need to know anything."

"So," Sango nudged her friend. "Tell me what it was like."

Blushing, Kagome turned away, sinking further into the steamy heat of the spring, allowing it to sooth her nerves. "I think that's kind of private."

"No, not this second chance, though now I am curious about it. I certainly hope you didn't do what I think you did. But seriously. What was it like to be possessed by another spirit? We see it all the time, but we never get the chance to really sit and talk to the person."

Sitting back in the water, resting her back against a nearby rock, Kagome thought of her experience. It was perhaps the first time since she found the mirror that she was able to look at the situation critically. Before, she was too close to it. "It's unlike anything you've ever experienced," she said, twiddling a piece of black hair in her hands. "You're yourself, but you're not. There's this otherworldly feel to everything, like you have two sets of eyes watching everything, you constantly have somebody with you at all times listening to everything you're saying, watching everything you're doing. Honestly, there was no privacy. They were intrusive."

The silence that filled the air between them was near deafening as Kagome fought not to relive the experience, and Sango considered her friend's words. Sure, they had gone from village to village, expelling demons that took possession of people, or objects, but she had never once considered the ramifications of the events. Looking at her friend, she could tell that some of them, if not all of them, were traumatic.

"Your memories become theirs, and theirs yours," Kagome whispered, and Sango knew she hit the crux of the problem. Mokuren had shared something with Kagome that the young girl should never have seen.

"The key," Sango guessed, "is that you need to be able to separate her memories from yours, and know that you truly did not experience these things. It might not be much consolation, but it might mean the difference between retaining your sanity, or losing it all together."

"I slept with him," Kagome blurted out, quite accidentally, but thankful she didn't have to bottle up either. "That was their second chance. We decided we had enough of them and the most recent vision to date was the culmination of it all. We had both run out of patience and so I slept with him."

Slightly shocked, Sango sat back in the water, searching her friend's eyes for a sign of something, anything that would tell her she was joking. "But Inuyasha…" she trailed off.

"Inuyasha doesn't know, and I'd rather keep it that way. I don't want to hurt him," running her hand through her hair in nervousness, Kagome sighed. "Look Sango, you don't know what I saw, the horror I faced because of this spirit. I would have slept with the devil it meant Mokuren would have left me sooner."

"Close enough," she murmured, momentarily forgetting about support for her friend. "I'm sorry Kagome, that was harsh, but Sesshoumaru is not known to be among the friendliest of demons."

"I know, and believe me, I always thought my first time would be with somebody I loved and respected."

"Your husband."

"No," Kagome corrected gently. "This is one big cultural difference between my time and yours. We're a lot freer about sex. It's talked about, and acted upon whether or not you're married. Virginity, while nice, isn't valued where I come from. That being said, it's not something I would just give away, and I wanted my first time to be with somebody who loved me."

"So what do you plan on doing now? Even if in your time such things are normal, here they're not, and Inuyasha would never take you now that you've slept with his brother."

"Half-brother, and I'm not asking for Inuyasha to have me anymore. These spirits did manage to put things into perspective for me. I watched the love between the two of them grow. I felt it grow and the intensity of it was blinding. My love for Inuyasha didn't compare to it. It didn't come close and it shed a little perspective on the whole situation. It's funny how it happens. They trusted each other implicitly. I can't do that, not with him. Unconsciously, I've been holding myself back from him, and it's just as well. He could never love me as I deserve to be loved anyhow. Half of his heart still belongs to Kikyou and I refuse to share. Not when it's that important."

"Wow," Sango breathed, amazed at the maturity of her friend. It seemed time with Sesshoumaru had actually done her some good. She grew up. "So what now?"

"I don't know," Kagome sighed. "I feel, I don't know, lost, confused, a little bit alone. It's funny, I never thought I'd say this about Sesshoumaru, but I miss him. We had these amazing little discussions and it gave me some insight into his past, and why he is the way he is today. He's not as bad as everybody thinks. He just lets you believe he is."

Smiling knowingly at Kagome, Sango reached over and tossed her a bottle of shampoo from the large yellow sack. From one brother to the other, she mused. One day, this girl was going to cause a war.

---

The leaves rustling in the wind calmed him as he approached his old friend. The old Magnolia tree, for all intents and purposes, looked at peace, though he knew it to be otherwise. Bokuseno never slept when company was arriving, invited or not. And he always had an innate sense as to when somebody was going to stop by.

Removing his swords from his hip, and his armor, he took a seat in front of a tree across from the tree demon, leaning his back against the coarse bark of the trunk.

"I'm surprised you are here without your companion, Sesshoumaru," the tree spoke without opening his eyes.

"She has returned to her group."

"Ah, and you have let her. This surprises me as well." The demon opened his eyes and looked over the inu, a critical eye scanning him up and down. For all of a moment, Sesshoumaru felt disconcerted at being so openly analyzed, until he realized the intent of Bokuseno. "The spirits have left you."

"Late last night."

"I heard as much. The winds carried the change with them and the earth seemed to balance itself out."

Sesshoumaru only raised his eyebrow in question, silently asking for an explanation.

"The Earth knows when something is off and unbalanced. Spirits are meant to leave this world for the next. When one stays here, it throws the entire spiritual makeup off key. They have both moved on. My question though is why you let the girl return to her group?"

"Her place is there. We did what we needed to do and she has returned to her group, as I will be returning to mine."

The tree demon looked him in the eyes and for the first time in ages, Sesshoumaru wanted to squirm under the gaze like a guilty pup. Bokuseno was a youkai he respected, one who knew him when he was still young.

"You do not know what you have done."

"I beg your pardon?" he asked.

"Giving the spirits a second chance at love means just that. Love, not lust. They would never have been able to leave you if that sentiment was not matched on the part of the two of you."

Scoffing, Sesshoumaru looked away, trying to ignore the words. Yet they continued to mull around in his head. A second chance at love, not lust, love.

"Think about that, Lord Sesshoumaru," Bokuseno stated before closing his eyes once again, this time in dismissal.

Picking up his armor, he couldn't help but think.

Love. Was it possible?

AN

sniff it's almost done! Thanks everybody for your wonderful reviews. Enjoy the chapter. As soon as I complete the next one, I'll post it up, no more waiting after they're finished being written!

Disclaimer: See Chapter One


	27. A New Beginning

Returning to camp, she mentally prepared herself for a conversation with Inuyasha. As reluctant as she was to speak with him about such a matter, he needed to be told, and she needed a favour from him, though he would probably be disinclined to grant it. "You okay, Kagome?" Sango's hand found its way to her shoulder, squeezing it lightly and offering her support. Her sister of her heart, Kagome mused. One always knew what the other needed, and was always willing to provide it.

"I'll be fine. It's Inuyasha I'm worried about."

"How so?"

She thought of it for a minute before replying. "He's so used to rejection, I hate to add to it, but that's how he's going to see it. A rejection of him for his brother, whom he competes with, but can never win against. While it would be hard for anybody to swallow their pride on this, he's going to find it impossible, and he'll probably lash out."

"I won't let him hurt you. Miroku and I will stay nearby to intercede if necessary."

Smiling, she gathered her strength. "Thanks Sango, but I don't think it'll come to that. He may hurt, but he won't hurt me. I won't let myself be hurt by his words." Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the clearing and looked around. She could see Miroku and Shippou sitting near the fire, boiling some water for what she assumed was going to be tea. Kirara laying next to them, sprawled out and sleeping, but no Inuyasha.

"He's gone," Miroku explained without looking up from the fire. "He followed you two to the hot spring, not close enough to watch," he added, "but close enough to keep an eye out if there's any danger. He's feeling guilty for not being able to help rid you of the spirit as he feels it's his duty to protect you. He came through about five minutes ago and leapt off somewhere into the south."

"Inuyasha," she murmured, saddened that he had to hear her story the way he did. Nobody should have to hear a story like that by listening in. She would have rather told him herself.

"He sees it as a great blow, Kagome-sama. I don't know what you and Sango talked about, but he didn't react well." Removing the pot of boiling water from the fire, he placed several tealeaves in it before stirring it around and letting it sit so the flavour would steep through. "An herbal blend provided by Kaede. I suggest you both sit down and when this is ready, I'll pour you a cup. I think it's about time somebody filled me in on what would send Inuyasha off like that."

Sighing, Kagome took a seat near the fire and waited for Miroku to pour the tea. "Fortunately it's not a long story, Miroku, but it's complex. And it's not something I want to share with everybody at camp as it's intensely private. Inuyasha was never meant to hear it like he did. I wasn't sure I was even going to tell him to be honest, but he has a right to know."

"I won't judge you, Kagome-sama."

"I know."

---

Running through the trees and leaping into the air at a breakneck speed was the only way he could feel free at the moment, not feel dragged down by recent events. A mix of emotions swirled through him at about the same speed he was running. Hurt. Anger. Betrayal. Rage. One piled on top of the other, until he couldn't keep them in check anymore, and he had to just get away.

Though common sense told him she probably had no other choice, and she most likely didn't initiate it, he didn't know how he would ever be able to accept it. He was leery at letting Kagome go off with his brother to begin with, but he trusted her to know what she was doing. If he had known this was going to happen, there would have been no way Kagome would have been left alone with Sesshoumaru. She belonged to him.

Leaping off the top of another tree, Inuyasha allowed a small smile to grace his face as the wind blew his hair back, and created a resistance that only made him work harder. Anything to burn off the excess energy.

Oh he knew, when he truly thought of it, that Kagome never really belonged to him. He was too caught up in the past to really look ahead to her and the future, and at times she was too caught up in the future to look back at him and the past. But despite all this she still belonged to him. She was pack. She was his best friend. And though he knew it was wrong to think of it this way, she was also his only remaining connection to Kikyou. He had never let her know that, but somehow he suspected she had already figured it out. Kagome was smart like that.

So if he knew she couldn't belong to him, why did it still hurt this much? Sango was right. Despite Kagome's futuristic views, even if he wanted to, he could never take her now. He would never have been able to move past the fact that his brother had her first.

His brother who managed to get everything first.

Feeling the rage rise again, he struggled to take a deep breath before catching a flash of white off in the east.

Sesshoumaru.

His rage came to a full boil as he saw the youkai make his way through the forest. "Bastard," he seethed as he came to a quick stop and made a detour. Brandishing Tessaiga as he made his way to the air again, he fought down the rage knowing it would only cloud his attack, and he snarled as he landed in front of his half-brother.

Letting the blade lower, he pressed the tip of it against Sesshoumaru's armor in warning. He was one pissed off hanyou. "Asshole," he greeted, further pushing his blade into the armor and ignoring the inu's hardened eyes. "I have questions, you have answers. Now you're going to talk or so help you as I shove Tessaiga so far up your ass it'll be coming out of your mouth."

---

"Half-breed," Sesshoumaru greeted as he narrowed his eyes on the hanyou. He didn't miss the anger emanating from him, the subtle rise of what little youki the whelp had. Flexing his hand lightly at the side for a brief moment, he lifted it to push the blade away, not that it could do much damage to him with Tenseiga at his side. "I see you have yet to learn the proper way of greeting family."

"Fuck that, Sesshoumaru. You are no more family to me than I am family to you. What I want to know is why."

Raising an eyebrow, he could only guess the hanyou had learned of his activities with the miko. Feeling a light pang in his chest at the thought of her, he immediately dismissed it. He had more pressing matters to deal with. "That is of no concern to you."

"She is my pack. Further more she is Kagome. That makes it my concern."

"You seem to forget that, brother," he sneered as he looked upon the hanyou. "You don't look at her and see your friend. You look at her and see your dead miko. This is why it doesn't concern you. It is between I and the living miko, not you and the dead one."

Jumping back as he saw the blade of Tessaiga come at him, narrowly missing him. Smirking, he pulled Tokijin out of its sheath, feeling the evil and hate resonate off the sword and direct itself at Inuyasha, he released the hate and lashed back, knowing the whelp would easily dodge the attack. He had to credit him with being a quick learner. It was becoming increasingly difficult to teach him in the way he knew best.

"Where is she?" He asked as he saw Inuyasha stop for a moment to catch his breath.

"Not anywhere near you."

"I have business with her and you would be wise not to interfere. Where is she?"

Feeling the press of the Tessaiga against his Tokijin, he pushed forward, ignoring the flying sparks as the two blades clashed against each other. "You don't get to see her until I know what it's all about. I left her with you once and look what happened," Inuyasha growled as he fought back.

Sending another wave of blue light, he sent Inuyasha flying off to the side, and though he landed on his feet, he was clearly winded. "Jealousy, Inuyasha, does not become you. It is wise to remember who your betters are. Where is the miko?"

Glaring into the boy's eyes, he let his defences drop just once, knowing they could bring him the end result. Pride, he knew, had a time and a place, and while he could spend countless hours playing against his brother, this was neither the time nor the place.

_Giving the spirits a second chance at love means just that. Love, not lust._

Bokuseno's words echoed in his head once again, trapping themselves there to the point where he was becoming obsessed just thinking about them. His determination to find the miko and speak with her was beginning to override all rational thought that told him to do otherwise.

Communicating everything he needed to say without words, he found that the lack of pride wasn't as distasteful as he thought. Watching his brother slump in defeat, ears low to his skull, he knew he finally succeeded and sheathed Tokijin.

"We're still camped where you left her," Inuyasha said as he sheathed Tessaiga. "I'll warn you now though. You hurt her, you'll wish that shoving Tessaiga up your ass will be the extent of what I'd do to you."

Nodding his head, he turned to leave, only to turn back again. "You tell anyone of what you saw here, the same threat will hold to you."

---

Silently, she slipped away from the group, tiptoeing across the camp so as not to wake anybody. She was slightly disturbed by fact that Inuyasha had not returned. And saddened. She had hurt him, something she had promised herself she would never do. Walking, the struggled not to trip on the various roots and vines covering the dirt ground. In her effort not to wake her camp mates, she had forgotten to unpack her flashlight. She only hoped that she wouldn't get lost in the dark. The smell of fresh water was in the air though and Kagome knew she was heading back in the direction of the hot spring. It would be quiet at the very least to let her think through the last few days in relative peace.

"Hey."

Snapping to attention, she narrowed her eyes, trying to focus in the dark and looked ahead. "Inuyasha!" Torn between running to him, and running away, she stood her ground, fists clenching at her sides. There was so much she wanted to, and needed to say to him, yet she found herself lacking the words, and the strength to voice her thoughts to him. This was Inuyasha, the hanyou who had saved her life countless times, been there for her whenever she needed him, and her best friend. And in return, she hurt him quite possibly more than he had ever hurt her. Sitting next to the hot spring, he looked very much lost and alone. A saddened puppy probably best exemplified the image he portrayed at this moment. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" he asked bitterly. "For sleeping with him or for not telling me about it."

Staring in his eyes, she couldn't help but think how similar they were to his brother's, only his were much more expressive. They were drowning in sorrow and she felt her heart break for him. She did this to him. "I can't tell you what you want me to tell you," she said as she moved forward and took a seat next to him. "I can't lie to you and tell you I'm sorry for sleeping with him. It was necessary."

"Necessary? That's it? Nothing more?"

Shaking her head, she reached for his hand and held it in between hers, sandwiching it. "I won't lie to you," she repeated. "I can't answer those questions. I don't know the answers myself. I do know though that the more time I spent with him, talking to him, the more I got to know him and learned that he's not as bad as I thought he was. That has to count for something."

"He's an ass, and he'll never change."

Giggling, she opened his hand so the palm was facing up. Tracing the lines that ran across it and up his fingers, she amused herself for a moment. They were strong hands, she noticed, covered in calluses from wielding Tessaiga. Overtime they had come to be covered with the blood of many others, including his own, and yet, it remained still as she continued her ministrations. "I put up with you all these years. What makes you think I can't handle your brother?"

Feeling his hand enclose her own, she turned her head and looked up at him, noting his serious, contemplative gaze. "I'm sorry too. I have a feeling that despite my best intentions and my own personal wishes, I've pushed you away."

Shocked, she maintained eye contact. "You've matured you know. You're still rash at times, and quick to anger. Your temper at times still astounds me, and yet you've grown up. Four years ago we would have never had this conversation. You'd have stormed off in a huff the moment your brother's name was mentioned."

"Yeah well things change. And they're still changing." He gestured to his right, her eyes following the motion, only stopping when she saw the figure clad in white standing in the distance. How come she hadn't noticed him until now? "I've learned to read you like a book over these four years," he continued. "I can't compete with that, nor will I try. Just promise me something. If dog shit over there ever hurts you, you come and find me so I can kick his ass."

Feeling her face stretch into a large smile, she could see it reflected in Inuyasha's eyes just before he leapt into the trees disappearing from sight. Standing herself, she took one step ahead, followed by another, the weight of the world disappearing with each foot forward. She thought he had left for good earlier in the day and until this moment, she didn't realize how much that had affected her. But it all washed away when she saw him standing there, waiting for her.

"Hey," she smiled as she greeted him, her heart full of cheer and no doubt reflecting itself in her very demeanor.

"Miko."

And her heart leapt from her chest and soared into the sky as she saw him smile back down at her. For the first time ever, the world around her seemed to balance out. Everything was perfect.

---

END

---

AN

It's done…wow…I'm still catching my breath over this.

Firstly, I have several thank yous…

So I am on cloud nine today and I have all of you, the readers, to thank for this. A very big thank you to everybody who voted for this story on the latest IYFG poll. I am extremely honoured that you think so highly of this story to vote it as Best Canon. I've been walking around and working with a smile on my face and as soon as I came home from work I started to work on this chapter. I'm still in a state of shock, as I never thought this story would be nominated, then seconded, then win. So thank you.

I would also like to thank Jay FicLover who came up with such a wonderful challenge. It was truly inspiring and one that as you can see, I couldn't resist and I'm glad I could do it justice. I did warn you Jay that it takes me a while to write a story lol, well it was almost 13 months. I started this story on November 18, 2006…well before but I posted it then, with the hopes that I would be finished by November 18 of this year. Unfortunately many things got in the way of that, but it's not too too late. Your comments have been inspiring and has certainly offered me guidance along the way. Thank you.

Thank you also to Yabou and Elegant Paws. Elegant Paws, I had just come off a small hiatus when you started reading and it was enough to inspire me to get back on track with regular updates. Not to mention the late night e-mails that have helped keep me sane along the way. Yabou, well, you know everything you've done. Your support is phenomenal and it was always great having somebody read my chapters and telling me I wasn't off my rocker with some of the stunts I've pulled in this story. Thank you both.

Secondly, I've been getting a rash of e-mails and reviews from people who are upset about no angry Inuyasha, or looking forward to an Inuyasha outburst. I'll say it now that while he's angry, I like the hanyou, and I refuse to write stupid childish angry. Anybody who follows my drabble series on ff. net titled Brotherhood will see this. This story takes place several years after Kagome falls into the well, so they've both grown up over time and this is reflected in his attitude. I wouldn't write him any other way.

Finally, thank you to everybody has been reading this story. Whether you're a new reader or somebody who's been following this since the beginning, thank you for your support. I mean it when I say it means the world to me. All of you have been inspirational.

That's it. I hope you enjoyed the story as much as I've enjoyed writing it.

Priestess Skye

Disclaimer: Please see chapter one


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